Merely Mortals
by aswiftlytiltingreality
Summary: Amelia has always thought she was the only one who was different until she met Reid and strange things began to happen, even by Ipswich standards. Will Reid be able to save her soul? Rated M for some language, drinking, and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing but Amelia, Lucy, Nathan, and Amelia's mother**

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_I suppose everyone is different, but I sometimes wonder if there are people like me. Are they good? Are they bad? Or am I the only one? I feel like it. With Dad gone and mom in the hospital, I can feel it. Maybe this is my punishment for being different. But why? How many other people who are different are as lonely as I am? And what did we do wrong? I'm so alone. Even in school. People whisper about me. Because I'm different. And not because I'm alone. No. I'm different because of what I can do. And everything that's different about me keeps growing._

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By the time the bus arrived, Amelia was completely soaked. If she caught a cold she would not be allowed to visit her mother for at least a month. And by then…..well, having a cold simply was not an option. The bus was cold, yet blissfully uncrowded and Amelia sat near the front. She could feel the water slosh in her shoes. It took 20 minutes for the bus to get to the academy gates where she had left her bike chained to a tree nearby. Amelia pulled the line and the bus slowed to a halt. It was still pouring outside and it would take another thirty minutes just to reach home. However, her bike was nowhere to be seen. The padlock and chain she used to lock it up lay cut on the ground.

"Just fucking _great_," Amelia muttered kicking the tree. She walked a little ways onto the gravel road and sighed. "Guess I better start walking."

The farther Amelia walked, the darker it became and her feet began to ache. She could no longer see the trees of the woods that lined either side of the small road and she began to wish desperately for a flashlight. The trees swayed as the wind whipped through the branches and chilled Amelia to the bone. The rain had slowed to a lazy drizzle. Her blond hair was plastered to her face and impossible to control. Every time she pushed it back, the wind blew it into her face once more. She stopped to peel her jacket off and wring it out when a flash of light and the blaring of a horn caused her to jump. The black, Dodge pickup skidded to a halt and Amelia began to back up slowly as someone climbed out of the cab.

"What the hell?!" He yelled. She backed up even further. "Look, I'm sorry. I-I-I was just walking home," she stammered. He stepped closer and Amelia realized he was her age and, more importantly, she knew who he was. He stared at her for a long moment, his piercingly clear blue eyes staring her down. She hugged herself self-consciously and added nervously, "Really, I'm sorry. It's just someone stole my bike-I'm really sorry."

"Do you want a ride?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"No," she said almost yelling, "no, I live on Black Oak-"

"Black Oak?!" he exclaimed, cutting her off, "that's almost six miles away."

She shrugged and looked down at her feet. He sighed, "Just get in. I promise I won't try anything," he said, holding up both hands, "You're not my type anyways."

"Thanks," she scoffed, feeling more sure of herself and less uncomfortable. Amelia climbed into the passenger side of the truck and sat down. He turned on the truck's heater.

"So do you have a name?"

"Amelia Thorne," she said, not looking at him but at her soggy shoes.

He snorted. "I thought you looked familiar. We have homeroom together. I'm Reid Garwin."

"Oh yeah, you sit in the back and sleep," Amelia retorted defensively, "I'm surprised you were awake long enough to notice."

He glared at her. "Yeah, well I'm not the one walking around in the fucking rain."

When she didn't reply he snapped, "What were you doing anyway?"

"Coming home from the hospital."

"You sick?" he asked bluntly.

Amelia sighed and rested her head on the window, watching the rain trickle down in different directions, "No, my mother is."

The storm had picked up again. Lightening flashed and Amelia could see Reid's reflection in the window. He was staring at her. His pale blond hair had fallen into his eyes. Beautiful eyes, she noticed.

"That sucks," he said, matter-of-factly, yet she could tell by the look on his face as he meant it.

"Yeah, it does suck," she replied softly and turned to look out at the road just in time to see a deer standing right in their way. "Reid, look out!"

"Shit!" He yanked wheel to the right and the truck careened off the road and into a ditch. Amelia clutched the door and Reid threw his arm across her to hold her back as the truck slammed into a tree. She felt his arm sway away from her and her body being jerked forward violently. Once the impact was over, she turned towards Reid. He was slumped over the steering wheel, his face bloodied. The arm he'd used to hold her was covered in lacerations and there were several shards of glass sticking out.

"Oh god," she whimpered, as she shoved open her door and raced around to the driver's side and yanked on the door handle frantically until it the door creaked open. She grabbed him and proceeded to pull him slowly from the truck and lay him out in the, cold, wet grass. She gently leaned her head against his chest. There was barely a heartbeat. Amelia felt her hands begin to shake.

_Oh god, I've never done anything this big before, _she thought anxiously, _please let this work._

Amelia could feel hot tears stream down her face as she placed one hand firmly on Reid's chest and the other firmly on the ground. Like, a circuit, something clicked inside her body, and she began to tingle all over. The chill in the air no longer affected her-in fact she was rather warm. Amelia could feel the current rush through her and into Reid. Her thoughts became fuzzy and she felt lightheaded as the flow of energy suddenly ceased. She looked down at Reid. The lacerations were gone, as were the shards of glass. He was breathing steadily. It was only then that she noticed he had been staring at her.

"Amelia?" he asked, slightly concerned. But Amelia didn't have a chance to answer. Her body swayed uncontrollably and her vision began to blur. "Reid," she murmured as she began to fall. As everything faded to black Amelia felt two strong arms grab a hold of her gently.

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When Amelia awoke, she was lying on something cushy-something to cushy to be the wet, hard ground. She opened her eyes slowing, her eyes too sensitive to focus just yet. Her body ached, and she became painfully aware of that fact as she slowly pushed herself up into sitting position.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, you awake," she heard someone call from the kitchen, in mock cheer, "too bad, didn't get to kiss you yet."

"What?" she moaned in confusion as she tried to figure out just exactly where she was. Unfortunately, she couldn't. "Where?"

"You're at my house," the voice called again, "you wouldn't wake up and since I don't know where you live, I brought you here."

"Reid?" she asked, trying desperately to remember what had happened after the truck had crashed.

"Yeah?" the voice answered. So, it was indeed Reid and not some strange man. However, Reid himself was a stranger to Amelia. "Hey you want some coffee or something?"

"How did we-"

"I called my parents," he said as if the answer should have been obvious, "we brought you home. Mom said you can stay here tonight, which of course means you're going to be staying my bed and I'll be sleeping on that couch once you move."

"I'll need clothes…" she answered, somewhat dazed.

A tee shirt and some gym shorts hit her in the face. "Sorry, I don't have a sister or anything, so you'll have to wear my clothes until I take you home tomorrow so you can change for school."

She held up the clothes to look at them. They were entirely too big. Reid rounded the couch and sat on the coffee table. He shoved a mug of coffee into her hand and sipped from the one in his other hand. Amelia stared at the coffee for a long moment.

"I didn't spike it, if that's what you're thinking," he said caustically, causing her to shake her head. "It's not that. It's just-"

"That was a pretty neat trick you pulled," he said, interrupting her, "where'd you learn that?"

When Amelia only stared at him with wide eyes, he rolled his own, "Look, I'm not going to narc on you or anything. Wouldn't be a very nice thing to do to someone who saved your life, you know?"

"I-I-I-" she stammered, "I didn't think you were awake."

"I wasn't." He grinned. "for the first half."

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Reid stared out the window, watching as the storm continued to rage-it was going to be an all nighter clearly. Amelia lay in the middle of his over-sized bed breathing deeply. Her eyes moved beneath her eye lids and she sighed, a small smile creeping across her face. He sat down in a chair next to the bed and stared at her curiously. Her long hair was spread out around her, framing her face. He couldn't help but imagine what else she was capable of as he tried desperately to figure out how he was going to fix his truck and if there were others out there like her-others who had powers different from him and those around him.

She moaned slightly and he turned towards her. She looked so innocent, so pure. Reid frowned. This girl was definitely not his type; she was too….square. Yet, laying there, so serene, in his baggy tee shirt with the blankets twisted haphazardly around her waist, she looked almost………

Reid jumped to his feet and returned to the window. It was indeed going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing but Amelia, Lucy, Nathan, and Amelia's mother**

She could feel him watching her, but whenever she turned back his head was buried in his arms.

"Miss Thorne," the teacher addressed her, causing her head to whip back around to look at him, "care to tell the class what you find so interesting back there?"

Before she could answer, a familiar voice rang out, "Maybe she's trying to locate the nearest exit like the rest of us."

Several girls in the class giggled and Amelia could just imagine the smug smile on Reid's handsome face.

"Mr. Garwin, if you'd like, you may stay after school in detention and I'll make sure you find out just exactly where all the exits are located on campus."

"No, thanks, I have important plans, and besides, I'm sure I can find them all by myself no problem."

The teacher opened his mouth to answer, when the bell rang and Amelia slid out of her seat with lightening speed.

"Hey, Thorne, where's the fire?" Reid snickered, causing some of the students around him to snicker as well.

_Asshole,_ Amelia, thought to herself, finally admitting what she had known all along: She and Reid Garwin would never be friends. At Spenser Academy he was part of the A group, Spenser's elite, while she was part of the Z group-the group that even algae was too good to be a part of. Her best friends were the books in the library and the movies she watched on Saturday night while everyone was out partying and having a good time. Everyone, including Reid, whose best friends were three of the best looking boys in school, all of which had girlfriends, except Reid. Of course, Reid never had girlfriends, just _friends_.

"Hey!"

Amelia watched as the students around her gabbed happily, as it was the end of the school day. She had a long ways to walk.

"Hey, Amelia!"

Amelia, turned around half confused, half surprised. An attractive blond girl waved at her from not far away. She was standing next to Reid and his friends waving her over. When Amelia hesitated to come over, Reid laughed and the girl elbowed him roughly before sidling through the throng of students to reach her.

"Hey," she said slightly breathless, "I'm Sarah."

Amelia shook her hand silently. When she didn't say anything, Sarah continued cheerfully, "I'm in a couple of your classes and I was wondering if you're any good at trig?"

Amelia fought hard not to frown, "Uh, yeah….."

"Good because, I'm looking for a study partner," she smiled brightly before adding, "I thought I could handle it, but with all the other classes I'm taking plus trying to spend time with my boyfriend, it's getting a little…"

"Overwhelming?" Amelia finished, smiling weakly, "sure no problem."

Sarah looked relieved. "Thank you so much. Want to study now if you're not doing anything?"

"Um, yeah, I just need to call home so my Mom won't worry."

"You don't live on campus?" Sarah asked, starting to walk back from whence she came.

Amelia shook her head and absently followed Sarah. "Yeah, but I spend most of my time at home."

"Cool," Sarah said, not picking up on the sadness in Amelia's voice. When Amelia looked ahead at where they were headed, she felt the sudden urge to turn around. They were headed straight for Reid. Sarah wrapped her arms around one of the boys surrounding him and said quietly, "Amelia's agreed to tutor me. Now all I need to do is find someone to help me with my English paper, since you can't write for shit."

"I can help you," Amelia said meekly, "English is my strongest subject."

"You a bookworm or something?" Reid asked snidely. Amelia felt herself begin to blush angrily. "It's not my fault I'd rather focus on school than spend all my time on my back like most of the girls you know."

"Well, that's not very nice, Sarah's a lovely young lady," Reid tisked, somewhat agitatedly.

"I said _most_, Einstein, _most_," she snapped, rolling her eyes before turning back to Sarah, who was staring at her with a huge grin.

"Don't mind him, he's an asshole," she said before nodding towards the boy whose hand she was holding, "This is my boyfriend, Caleb."

She shook his hand politely. "Nice to meet you."

"I am not an asshole," Reid muttered under his breath, causing Amelia to say before she could stop herself, "Yes, you are."

He glared at her and the four others as they laughed, before growling, "I'll see you guys later tonight at Nathan's."

"Later," Caleb chuckled as Reid stalked off down the hallway towards the front of the school. As they Reid walked off, Amelia noticed something dark move out of the corner of her eye and turned toward it. A large, black, wolf stared unwaveringly at her, partially hidden by the trunk of a large Oak tree. Its eyes were the color of liquid gold and it was quite larger than a wolf aught to be-of that she was sure. It held her gaze for several more moments until she heard Sarah's light voice filter in through the strange humming she heard in her ears. "You ready to go study?"

"Sure," she said turning quickly to face her. Sarah grabbed her hand and began to drag her towards the dormitory and Amelia glanced back towards the wolf. It was gone.

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"I'm sorry, but this is just too many numbers to deal with in one night," Sarah groaned, shoving her trigonometry book away from her as if it were a venomous snake. Amelia laughed and closed her book. "Okay, we'll stop for the night."

Sarah glanced over at the alarm clock on her nightstand, "Cool, I have to get ready for tonight anyways."

Amelia smiled and began to gather up her books. When she looked up Sarah was staring at her, her blue eyes sparkling. "You should come with us!"

"What?" Amelia asked incredulously, before adding quickly, "no, _no_. You just go and have fun without me."

"Come on, please?" she begged, sticking her lip out in an exaggerated pout, "I hate being the only girl out with them."

_God, I'm such a pushover. _"Fine."

Sarah squealed. "I have this jean skirt that will look amazing on you. Oh, and you'll just have to wear this tank top with little hearts all over it……."

Amelia flopped back on the bed and Sam frowned, "Oh no, you don't! We only have three hours to get ready and a lot of work to do if you want to knock Reid off his feet."

Amelia made a face. "Why would I want to do something like that?"

Ignoring her question Sam continued, "First off, you dress like you're trying to hide everything-

"Fine, do whatever you want," Amelia interrupted.

Two and a half hours later, Amelia found herself staring at a completely different person. The only thing she really recognized were her eyes, her chocolate eyes. But it couldn't be her because the girl staring back at her in the mirror looked good, _real good._

"My god, Sarah."

Sarah smiled as she fluffed Amelia's now pale blond hair. "I know, I'm an artist."

"Was I really that bad?" Amelia asked, her shoulders slumping slightly. Sarah laughed, "No, you looked great, but not as great as you could've looked. And for you to catch Reid's eye you'll need to look better than great."

Amelia sighed in frustartion, "I don't like Reid. He irritates me."

"Honey, he irritates everybody," she laughed, "I guess I'm just hoping he'll irritate you a little less."

"I don't see how that's possible," Amelia snorted. "Besides, doesn't exactly strike me as boyfriend material."

Sarah nodded sadly, "Yeah, he is kind of…."

"Loose? Rude? Self-absorbed?"

Sarah giggled. "Okay, you've made your point," she said before adding quietly, "but you know every now and then, he'll surprise you and he'll do something sweet."

Amelia stared at herself in the mirror. She and Reid did have one thing in common: they were not relationship material.

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Nathan Eldridge was one of Spenser's elite. In fact, he was the closest thing to the school's golden boy and he was liked by everybody. And like most people in town, he was rich, or more accurately, his parents were rich. When Amelia and Sarah arrived at Nathan's house, the circular drive was packed with cars and Sarah chose to park on the side of the dirt rode rather than chance being blocked in should the cops choose to arrive.

Like most mansions, there was a tall brick fence lining the entire estate and in the middle of the drive an ornate, marble 3 tier fountain surrounded by pink roses. The mansion itself was gigantic. It appeared to be three stories tall and was lined by perfectly manicured hedges.

But Amelia's attention was drawn to something completely separate from Nathan Eldridge's house. A very familiar black Dodge truck sat directly in front of the door, with not a scratch nor busted windshield in sight. She looked at Saarah in disbelief. "It's-it's-it's……"

Sarah stared at Amelia with what she assumed was a blank stare, though her lip biting betrayed her underlying emotion. "Come on, the party's started without us," she said quickly, practically dragging Amelia towards the large, black oak double doors.


	3. Chapter 3

**I own only Amelia, Lucy, Nathan, and Amelia's mother**

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Amelia was handed a cup of beer as she stepped through the doorway almost immediately. She stared at the foamy beverage warily before placing it on a nearby in table and followed Sarah, who was weaving through the crowd on tip-toe, presumably trying to find Caleb, and subsequently to Amelia's immediate dissatisfaction, Reid. When they found them, they were in the back yard standing next to a statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite all brandishing blue cups filled with beer. Amelia moved so that she was behind Sarah. She wasn't sure if she could pull of her new look. But it was two late. They had spotted her and all but Caleb were trying to get a clear look.

"We weren't really introduced," said one of them, coming forward and sticking out his hand, "I'm Pogue."

"Hi," she said shyly, taking his hand, and trying desperately not to blush as she stared into his deep brown eyes. Why they couldn't be ugly, she'd never understand.

"And I'm Tyler." She smiled and shook his hand. Suddenly, all eyes were turning away from her and she turned to follow their gaze. Walking straight towards them was Nathan Eldridge and he was smiling broadly at _her_.

"Hey, Amelia," he said warmly.

"Um, hi, Nathan," she said uncomfortably, realizing that the entire group was staring at her intently. Surprisingly, he looked relieved. "I didn't think you knew my name. I waved hi to you one time in class and you kind of blew me off."

Amelia made a face. She could not for the life of her remember Nathan Eldridge waving at her, except for her first day at Spenser, when he had turned and said hi to the girl behind her.

"Wait, you were waving at me?" she asked, somewhat confused. "I thought you were waving to that one girl."

Nathan laughed, his eyes smiling. "No, I was definitely waving to you."

She heard Sarah whisper behind her, "Looks like Prince Charming found his princess."

To which she heard Reid snort, "Some princess."

"Well, look, I gotta get back to some friends, but next time I see you I'll be sure to get your number so we can hang out some time," he said, backing away slowly. Amelia could only stare at him with what she assumed was a fairly dazed expression. "Okay."

She turned around slowly to see Sarah smiling broadly. "Really nice, Ames, really, really nice."

Amelia felt something rise in her chest, something click and lock into place. It was different, but it felt good; made her feel good and she realized she was smiling in an almost triumphant way. She shrugged nonchalantly, "I guess he is kind of cute."

"To most girls that would be an understatement," Reid muttered, heatedly. Pogue rolled his eyes. "He's just jealous because girls like Nathan more," he explained before turning to Reid and adding, "Besides, it's not like you never get any, ass wipe."

Reid smiled smugly. "This is true." Sarah laughed, "You guys are such pigs."

"Hey do you want something to drink?" Tyler asked her politely and she smiled gratefully. "Just a soda if they have any, thank you."

"What kind?" he asked. She shrugged, "Doesn't matter, surprise me."

When she looked back toward the rest of them, she noticed Reid staring at her. When he realized she was looking at him, he glared and took off towards a group of girls draping his arm over their shoulders and saying smoothly, "Alright ladies, who's going home with me tonight?" The girls all giggled and Amelia shook her head. "I wonder how many STDs each of them has."

Pogue laughed and patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, Blondie can take care of himself."

Sarah leaned in close to Amelia and whispered in her ear, "In my personal opinion, besides Caleb, there's no other guy in school half as attractive as Reid." She shrugged, "But I think it's that whole rebellious thing. Still, as far as boyfriends go, Nathan is definitely the better choice."

"So you want me to date them both?" Amelia asked jokingly. Sarah shrugged. "If you want."

Tyler handed her a coke and she thanked him politely.

"So is it just me or does this party suck?" Reid asked, his arms draped around two girls. They giggled and Amelia rolled her eyes. Reid smiled down at her slyly, "You know me and these here pretty young ladies are heading back to my place if you'd care to join us."

She smiled sweetly and said, "You know, I would just _love_ to, but I kind of already promised someone I'd be going back to _his_ room." She waved at Nathan who had been staring at her and he waved back, his smile broadening, before saying to Reid, "Bye."

But Reid didn't let up. "I see, little Amelia's afraid of having a little fun."

She frowned at him. "No, I'm all for fun….when it doesn't involve you."

"But see, that doesn't really qualify as fun then," he said letting go of the two girls and stepping closer, "I bet the naughtiest thing you've ever done is not study the night before a test."

She tried to hide a smile. _If he only knew how I was before I came to Ipswich_. Sarah stepped forward. "Geeze Reid, what's your deal? You act like you've never been turned down before." And Amelia knew that the truth was he hadn't. Reid glared at her but continued to address Amelia. "and I bet, the day you cross the street without looking both ways…well I best look out because by then you'll be one badass chick."

"Come on, Reid, leave her alone," Tyler said quietly. Reid looked over at him and then back at Amelia and held up his hands. "Look, I was just stating the obvious. And the invitation is definitely open for her to prove me wrong."

"Oh, and I will," she snapped, "just not in the way you're hoping."

Reid laughed, "Whatever you say, Amelia."

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The phone rang loudly and Amelia finished off her soda, "Hello?"

"So, how'd it go?" asked an enthusiastic voice. She smiled. "Hi to you too, Lucy. Nathan Eldridge asked for my number."

She heard her suck in her breath on the other end, but she didn't answer, causing Amelia to worry slightly, "Luce?"

Her voice was quiet, like she was hiding something. "That's so awesome, Amelia. He's really cute."

"I know," Amelia said finally, sighing slightly as she watched an infomercial flickering on the television. The cable had been screwy as of late. "It's so….weird."

"Yeah, it's not like he ever acknowledged your existence or anything," Lucy said bluntly, causing Amelia to cringe. Lucy could be so spiteful when she was jealous, which was often.

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When Sarah had picked her up that morning, she almost spit her coffee out all over the dashboard. "You do realize that we have a dress code and that there's a 99.9 chance you'll be sent to the Provost's office."

"Yep," she answered, smoothing out her pleated skirt that had been hemmed to come up to her mid-thigh instead of the mandatory two inches below the knee, "that's the point."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "This has nothing to do with Reid, does it?"

When Amelia didn't immediately answer, she sighed. "_Ames_."

"I'm just trying to make a point, Sarah, that's all."

Sarah rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yeah, that you're hot." Amelia laughed in response as they pulled out of her driveway.

"You know," Sarah added after a moment or two, "I seriously think that when he sees you, he'll die of shock."

"That's the whole idea."

Amelia's confidence had begun to give way, until they reached school and she saw the amount of heads that turned. Some turned in shock, but the majority turned in appreciation. As they walked towards the building, Sarah tried desperately to stop laughing. Amelia pinched her arm. "Would you cut it out? You're making me nervous!" she hissed, to which Sarah replied breathlessly, "I'm sorry, it's just that……you'd think they just saw God or something!"

Amelia stifled a laugh of her own. "I know, isn't it great?"

Her high heels clicked against the floor loudly as people parted to watch her in astonishment. She smiled at each of them cheekily as she headed into the bathroom to check her makeup just as the first bell rang. She put on a little more red lipstick and adjusted her almost too tight fitting white collared shirt. She rolled up the sleeves and undid her tie, preferring to let it hang around her neck when the tardy bell sounded. This was the first time she had been late to class. Amelia checked herself one more time and decided she was ready.

"Now, who can tell me what they thought of Shakespeare's approach towards the subject of love in Romeo and Juliet?"

Reid sat up quickly, so as to look alert. Tyler was taking notes furiously. "Good to see you're awake," he whispered, without looking up from the notes he was writing. Reid didn't respond and instead stared at his closed Lit book.

"I wonder where Amelia is," Tyler said absently, "she's never late."

Reid glanced down at Amelia's seat for the first time and realized she was indeed missing.

The door suddenly slammed open and Reid heard Pogue gasp from two rows away, "Holy shit!"

Amelia sauntered in slowly, "Sorry, I'm late. I was thinking about skipping all together," she said, slowly turning to shrug at the professor and throw him a charming smile.

"Miss Thorne!" he cried in shock. "You're-you're-"

"Late?" she finished, shrugging again. "Yeah, I was sure we just covered that."

"You're uniform!" he finally sputtered, "It's-it's-"

"I know, renders one speechless doesn't it?" her smile broadened and she climb the stairs aware that the creaking of chairs meant that several of the male students in class had turned to watch her. Instead of her usual seat near the front, Amelia chose to sit in the same row as Reid, leaving a few empty seats between them. She threw her navy blazer over the back of her chair, crossed her legs in a way she knew made them look miles long and smiled down at the professor expectantly. "Oh please, continue."

He only glared at her. "Perhaps a meeting with the Provost is required."

Amelia sucked in her lower lip and answered demurely, "Only if you think it's necessary, Sir."

The professor only harumped and continued on. A crumpled piece of paper hit her in the shoulder. She picked it up as casually as possible and unfolded it.

_So what's this all about?_ It read. She glanced over to see Reid staring at her intently. He pointed at the paper and made a gesture as if to write something.

_You bet I don't take risks. I'm just proving you wrong_. She wrote back before hurling the note back to him. He laughed silently to himself and began to write.

The note landed in her lap. _Technically, there were no terms to this bet and technically, all this proves is that when altered, the school uniform can make anyone look twice as hot._

_So, what are you trying to say, Hotshot? That you think I'm hot?  
_

He grinned almost evilly. _That we need terms, Sweetheart._

Amelia's grin matched his own. _Deal. What did you have in mind?_

A mischievous glint formed in his eyes ad he wrote furiously.

_You win, I do anything you want for the rest of the year. I win, you spend the night with me anytime I want._

Amelia stared at the letters scrawled on the paper. Amelia was beginning to feel less sure of herself. However the smug look on Reid's face made her feel less inclined to back down.

_Deal._ She answered, making sure that this time the note hit Reid square in the nose.

Reid read the note and smiled like a Cheshire cat.

When she looked down at the front row, Lucy was staring at her with narrowed eyes, but she smiled when she noticed Amelia staring back. She glanced pointedly at Reid and mouthed 'yum.' Amelia crinkled her nose slightly in response and Lucy smiled. When she looked back at Reid he was staring at her, grinning.

Reid was beginning to think Amelia was his type after all. She was witty, smart, and very attractive. She waved down at someone and he frowned when he saw Nathan Eldridge wave back. The only competition he had ever had at Spenser was Nathan Eldridge and he knew from experience that while many believed Nathan to be a decent guy, he was in truth, just as womanizing as he himself was. The only difference being he took care to hide it whereas Reid flaunted it like a badge of honor. Why anyone would pick that over-muscled, lumbering, Neanderthal over him was beyond his comprehension.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe you agreed to such a stupid bet," Sarah groaned as they lay sprawled across the floor of her dorm room, "you do realize that he will stop at nothing to win."

"Yeah, I know," Amelia sighed, now realizing the full extent of her mistake. How could she have been so stupid? Sarah stuffed a cheeto in her mouth and glared at her pointedly. "I mean, seriously, Ames, you should of just rolled over and said 'Take me!' because that's exactly what's going to happen."

Amelia crinkled her nose. "If he wins, which he won't."

Sarah scoffed. "Oh. Yes, he will."

Amelia was beginning to believe he would.

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Reid stared into the chlorinated pool for several minutes, trying to wrap his head around his thoughts.

"You okay, man?" Tyler asked, slapping him on the back, "You've been acting weird all day."

Several girls sashayed by seductively, cooing his name, yet he didn't answer.

"Okay, now you're scaring me," Tyler said in concern.

"Hey boys," someone called before sitting down. Reid finally looked up to see Nathan sitting next to the with a friendly smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" Reid asked bluntly. Nathan seemed unphased. "Came to see Amie."

"Who?" Reid and Tyler asked in unison.

Just then, the girls piled out of the locker rooms and Reid noticed Amelia chatting animatedly with a girl she had begun to hang out with regularly. He couldn't really remember her name, but he wanted to say Lucy. The girl spotted them staring and whispered to Amelia causing her to turn towards them and blush wildly. For a moment, Reid thought Amelia was blushing at him until Nathan got up and started towards her and her eyes followed him. Lucy batted her eyes seductively at Nathan and Amelia's smile faltered slightly.

"Well, looks like there's one girl in school who is immune to the charms of a certain Mr. Murdoch," snickered Tyler. Reid didn't answer, instead he walk to the pool's edge and jumped in and sat on the bottom of the pool, waiting. He could hear Tyler yelling faintly, but still he waited and closed his eyes. Then he felt arms surround him and fought hard to keep the smile from his face.

"I don't think he's breathing," Amelia said worriedly, before muttering, "Why do I always have to save your ass?"

He felt her prop his head back and pinch his nose. Reid felt her lips brush his and he instantly threw his arm around her, holding her against him as he kissed her roughly. Amelia lay crushed against him, frozen in shock and unsure of what to do. When he finally let go, he put both hands behind his head and smiled devilishly. "Geeze, Thorne, if you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was ask."

"_Reid Garwin_," she snapped incredulously, feeling her body begin to heat with what she could only imagine was complete mortification, "_you are the most disgusting, arrogant, vile human being I have ever had the misfortune to have met. And I'm most certainly would _not_ even dream of kissing you. Ever."_

"If that's true," he said, his grin growing, "then why did you kiss me back?"

Amelia's cheeks began to turn scarlet, and she growled before turning on her heel.

The coach yelled after her, "Hey, Thorne, class isn't over!"

Amelia didn't bother to turn around, but instead yelled over her shoulder before letting the locker room door slam behind her, "It is for me, so _fuck off_!"

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When Nathan didn't come to school the next day, Amelia assumed he was sick. A stomach virus had been making its rounds. He had even called her late that night to tell her wasn't feeling well and would probably not be going to class the nest day. A few minutes in to class, their Trigonometry professor, Mr. Travers, was given a note by a very upset office aide, who quickly darted out of class. As he read over the note carefully, his expression began to darken, and he finally looked up at the class.

"Students, it is my sad duty," he said, pausing to clear his throat as his voice cracked, "to announce with great sorrow, that Mr. Nathan Eldridge was killed in a car accident on his way to visit his parents after school yesterday-"

Amelia suddenly felt the walls close in around her and a roaring in her ears as Mr. Travers continued. "There will be a small memorial tomorrow and his funeral will be held……"

Amelia started straight forward at Mr. Travers, no longer hearing his words, and unaware of the sympathetic looks from her fellow classmates. Nate was dead. Nate was _dead_. The words raced through her mind, over and over.

"Ames," Sarah said, shaking her shoulder gently, "class is over."

Amelia looked around numbly. Caleb, Reid, Pogue, and Tyler stood in the doorway waiting for them, their expressions solemn. Amelia gathered her books mechanically and walked past them barely acknowledging them, her eyes fixed on some unknown point.

The only thing she was aware of was the whispering.

"That's _her_."

Nathan was dead.

"_That's_ the girl Nathan was dating."

He wasn't coming back.

"_She's_ the one."

Amelia walked straight out the front doors and into the pouring rain and she kept walking, trying hard to understand-trying to figure out why the people around her kept dying. She sat down under the large oak and stared down at her soggy books She wished that they held the answers to all her questions, that they held some explanation as to why there were so terrible things happening to her.

"Oh, Ames," Sarah cooed, sitting down beside her.

"I just don't understand," she said flatly as Sarah pulled her into her arms, "he was just fine when I talked to him last night."

"I know-"

"Wait," Caleb exclaimed, cutting Sarah off, "Last night?"

She nodded. "He was supposed to come over and watch a movie with me, but he called me a couple hours before hand to tell me he wasn't feeling good and he was going to go back to his room and that I shouldn't worry if he wasn't at school today."

"But Mia," Tyler said soothingly, "Nathan got into a wreck on his way back from school at five."

Tyler's words slowly began to register and she shook her head adamantly. "No, he called me at _seven p.m."_

"Amelia-"

She cut Caleb off, and held out her cell phone toward him, "and this will prove it."

"I was in the shower when he called the first time and left a message. So, I called him when I heard it to make sure he was okay."

"Ingoing from Nate and outgoing to Nate," Caleb said gravely. Reid snatched the phone from his hand and studied its small screen thoroughly.

"How is this possible?" he asked finally. Caleb shook his head. "I don't know."

Amelia was beginning to feel the world close in on her as if she were in the center of something unnatural.

She stood up quickly and backed away from the large group. Ever since I met you," she snapped, pointing a finger at Reid, "things, weird _things_ have been happening! We get in a wreck and total your truck, yet the very next night _your truck_ shows up perfectly intact at Nathan's house and-and-you watching me and-and-the wolf with the eyes and the-the-the phone call-"

Reid held up his hands, "Whoa, Amelia calm down."

"Calm down? _Calm down?! _How the fuck do you suppose I do that? _Calm down!" _she screamed. "I may be different, but nothing like this has ever happened to me, _ever._"

"Different?" Caleb asked in confusion, "different?"

"Look, she's just upset," Reid said, "she doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Oh, I do know what I'm talking about Reid _Garwin_," she yelled, "your parents never picked us up when we ran off the road. It was you…you- you did something. You can do things-"

"Amelia," Pogue warned, aware of how much attention they were attracting. Amelia's heart was racing and she was panting heavily. Her vision was blurring and she turned away from the group to look around them, try to understand why she felt so trapped, so faint. She could feel herself begin to fall and a pair of familiar yellow eyes sparkled out through the rain, watching her as she collapsed.


	5. Chapter 5

**I only own Amelia and minor characters such as Lucy. I wish I owned the covenant boys, but I don't.**

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When Amelia awoke she was lying on her couch staring at the popcorn ceiling and praying desperately that she was alone. Of course, she wasn't. Reid waved a mug of black coffee in her face. "Hey there, Sunshine."

Amelia glared at him warily, as she took the mug, "Hey there, Asshole."

Although he glared at her, it didn't quite reach his eyes. She rubbed her head. "I need to think," she mumbled, shuffling towards the stairs to her room.

"Where do you think you're going," Reid asked heatedly. She glared at him, "To think."

She stopped short. "I feel…..weird."

"You okay?" Sarah asked, causing her to notice for the first time that she and Reid were not the only ones in the house.

"I don't know," she looked around, "I feel……hungry."

Tyler held up a bag of chips and she shook her head, blushing slightly. "No that kind of hungry." His eyes widened as his mouth formed the shape of an 'O.' Sarah blushed as well.

"Look, I know, I turn you on-"

"You don't," she said, cutting Reid off. "For some odd reason I pictured Johnny Depp naked in my living room brandishing a bottle of rum."

Sarah sighed dreamily and Caleb frowned. "That would do it."

Amelia stared out the window, as if searching for something. Her finger glided smoothly over the glass. "I can feel it….watching us. With those eyes."

"What eyes?" Caleb asked warily. She nodded towards the woods that surrounded her house. "The yellow eyes."

"Look, not that this isn't important, but we're here for a reason," Caleb piped up. "There's something you should know about this town-"

"What? It's fucking weird?" she frowned. "Yeah, I got that when I saw a wolf in the middle of broad daylight. Not to mention Reid's truck. It's like something out of 'The Wraith.'"

"That was a good movie," Reid murmured, smiling to himself. "I wish I had that car. It was so badass."

"That's what we want to talk to you about." Caleb turned to Reid. "And that movie sucked."

"It was pure 80's cheese! How can you say that?!" he argued.

Amelia smiled. "I totally agree with the asshole."

"See, she-Hey!" he yelled belatedly realizing her insult towards him.

"Seriously, shut up!" Casey yelled, heading for the front door and out to the infamous truck. "We figured it's time we explained things to you."

"What are you going to do? Levitate it?"

"Well, duh," Reid answered matter-of-factly.

"So it's not just me and you guys, it others?" she asked.

"Well, see, we thought it was just us until you did what you did to Reid," Tyler explained, "and then all that weird stuff, too. You know, the wolf and what happened to Nathan."

"So, you guys didn't do all that stuff?" she asked. Caleb frowned her. "Would you be alive if we had, because someone obviously has it in for you."

Amelia nodded in agreement and Sarah tapped her foot impatiently. "Not that it isn't fun talking about what could be Amelia's imminent death, I really think we should try to cheer ourselves up. I think we should take her to Nicky's."

"Who's?"

They all grinned widely at her.

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Amelia sat on her bed staring at the wide selection of clothing that Sarah had laid out as possible outfits for her.

"You know, I still stand by what I said last time," she called from deep inside the closet. "Oh my god, they shoes are fantastic!"

"And what was that?"

Sarah poked her head out of the closet and glared at her disbelievingly. "How come you never wear any of this stuff?"

Amelia shrugged and sat down in front of the mirror. "If it were at my room in the dorms, I would." Tonight she was going heavy on the black eyeliner. "And what was it you stood by?"

"The Reid thing, dear, I really think it's high time someone knocked that punk on his ass," she replied holding a dress up against herself.

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Look, not that I don't absolutely relish the idea of seeing Reid knocked on his ass, but really all I'm concerned about that involves him is making sure I win that stupid bet and wipe that smug grin off his face."

Sarah made a face of disgust. "Is he still on about that?"

Amelia sighed, "Yes, he said evil things or not, we made a deal."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Amelia shrugged, "I have no idea, I mean, I'm not exactly rebel material. Well, I used to be..."

"You have come out of your shell a little bit," she smiled as she stared back at Amelia in the mirror, "I mean, the old you would never have worn her make up like that."

"I felt all the black reflected my mood," she said making sure her black eye shadow was perfect, each line coming out of the corner as straight an arrow and that the neon pink liner at the inside corners was not smudged.

"You look hot," Sarah said from behind her, "but what are you gonna wear?"

Amelia bit her lip, "I dunno…"

"You got your hair, nails, and make up all done, and now for the perfect outfit," her eyes widened, "and underwear! Oh my God, don't forget underwear."

"What does underwear have anything to do with what outfit I'm going to wear?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Everything! If everything you wear is sexy, you feel sexy, so show me your best."

Twenty minutes later, Amelia was sitting in her room nervously staring at herself in the mirror. She could feel her confidence plummeting, as she pulled on her hot pink lace boy shorts and fastened on her matching bra. She stared down at her options, all skirts that ranged from short to shortest and tops that ranged from tight to tighter. If she was going to boost her confidence in order to pull this off she was going to need some music she decided. Sarah had gone to the bathroom to change and do her own hair and make up. Amelia decided it was safe enough to let loose and closed the door and threw on a CD she knew wouldn't bring her down and turned the volume up.  
She sighed, switching to her favorite song and nodding along to the beat. _"Here we are, so what you gonna do?"_

By the time the chorus had kicked in, she was dancing around and singing at the top of her lungs. She dug out her old electric guitar and began to strum perfectly in tune with song, even though she hadn't played in two years. It was then she realized what that thing was welling up inside her that she didn't recognize-it was the girl she had been before her mom had gotten sick and they had moved to Massachusetts. It was the girl who just didn't care what others thought, and who didn't lack confidence. It was the girl who went after what she wanted. It was the girl who actually did what she wanted and she realized how much she had missed it. She missed her dreams, the ones she had abandoned to become more practical, more normal in hopes that, what she could do would disappear and things would be fixed. She had wanted to be in a band, wanted to write a book, go streaking, go skydiving-she wanted to do it all and she knew she could. The moment she realized all this was the moment she also realized that she had only hated Reid because she saw something in him that had scared her; she had seen herself. More importantly, she had _felt_ something. Amelia smiled at the realization that maybe, being the one to knock Reid on his ass wasn't such a bad thing. As long as he was game, of course.

_I've seen it all, I've got nothing to prove  
Come on baby just make your move  
Follow me let's leave it all behind tonight  
Like we just dont care_

_Let me take you on the ride of your life  
Thats what I said alright  
They can say what they wanna say  
Cuz tonight I just dont even care_

It was decided. No matter what happened, bad or good, Amelia was going to fight it. And just like the bet she had with Reid, she was going to win.

_Come on baby we ain't gonna live forever  
Let me show you all the things that we could do  
You know you wanna be together  
And I wanna spend the night with you, yeah-yeah  
With you, yeah-yeah  
Come with me tonight  
We could make the night last forever, oh-oh_

_Lets pretend your mine  
We could just pretend, we could just pretend, yeah yeah  
You got what I like  
You got what I like, I got what you like  
Oh come on  
Just one taste and you'll want more  
So tell me what you're waiting for  
_

When Amelia finally noticed them standing in the doorway staring at her she smiled sweetly, and winking at them said, "I'm not ready yet," before closing the door in their faces with her foot. Yet the door flew open and shut quickly as Sarah darted in. "What are you doing?"

Amelia smiled. "I'm psyching myself up, Sarah," she said, holding up a pair of devil horns and sticking out her tongue, as she dropped her guitar on the bed and pulled on a plaid black and blue skirt and a white top with mesh down the sides. She pointed at a pair of black pumps and Sarah grinned at her. "I don't' know what got into you, but I like it." Amelia frowned when a familiar blond head poked through the door and she hurled a skirt at him, "I said, I'm not ready!" He grinned devilishly, "I know, but I thought maybe you two were getting naked or something." She just threw him a lopsided grin and continued to sing._  
_

_Come on baby we ain't gonna live forever  
Let me show you all the things that we could do  
You know you wanna be together  
And I wanna spend the night with you, yeah-yeah  
With you, yeah-yeah  
Come with me tonight  
We could make the night last forever, oh-oh_

His grin widened at the implications and he said rakishly, "And just what are you trying to insinuate?"

Amelia winked at Sarah and slid past him, making sure to rub up against him. "That I'm going to knock you on your ass."

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"Reid," Amelia giggled drunkenly, as she leaned against the pool table, her drink sloshing onto the table. She lowered her voice to a loud whisper, "Reid, honey, sweetie, sugar." She was completely hysterical with laughter as were Sarah and Caleb who stood behind her. "_Reid…_"

He stifled a laugh as he paused, trying not to lose the shot he had lined up.

"Reid," said breathed out roughly, her laughter having died down slightly, before whispering in the same loud tone, "if you miss this shot, you lose."

He laughed again. "I am aware of that, Babe."

She smirked, "I am a babe."

Sarah giggled behind her and Tyler laughed from his position on the other side of the table. "Yes, you are."

"Oh my God, when was the last time you drank?" Reid asked in gleeful astonishment. She laughed and held up two fingers. "When we were sophomores."

Sarah collided into the table next to her, just as drunk. "What's wrong, asshole, never seen a drunk girl before?" she asked, causing Amelia to fall into a fit of laughter. Reid shook his head at them and Amelia pouted slightly, "Look, Reid, all she's saying is that you're the one who knows how to have fun and we just don't understand why us having fun bothers you so much."

Before Reid could answer them Sarah began to squeal. "I love this song!"

"I think everyone loves this song," Amelia replied softly.

"Come on we're totally dancing," Sarah yelled, pulling her towards a group of other drunken girls dancing. Caleb shook his head. "You know, I'd be upset at them for being totally plastered, but I think Amelia really needed this."

"Yeah," Reid muttered absently as he watched Amelia throw her head back to laugh with pure joy.

"You know," Caleb said leaning up against the table next to Reid, "Sarah has this theory that you're only mean to Amelia because you like her."

Reid snorted and rolled his eyes before taking his shot. "Well, sorry to disappoint your old lady, but Ames isn't really my type."

It was Caleb's turn to snort. "I don't think you realize how alike you two are."

Before, he could reply, Amelia returned holding a very sickly Sarah by the arm. "Caleb, I think someone had a little too much fun."

"Awe, honey," he cooed softly to Sarah gently picking her up, "let's get you home."

Amelia leaned up against the table looked around, "So where Tyler? I need a ride home."

Reid sighed, throwing his pool cue down on the table, "Come on, I'll drive you home."

They sat in silence most of the ride home until they reached the parking lot and she finally blurted, "So are you trying to get into my pants or what?"

Reid jerked his head to the side to look at her incredulously, "What?!"

"Well, half the time I'm around you, you stare at me like you'd love nothing more than to have me ride you for hours on end and then, you act like I'm the most revolting creature on the planet the other half of the time," she made a face and sighed, "I just don't get you. It's like you don't know what you want."

Reid didn't answer and instead turned of the engine and hurried around to her side of the truck to help her out. "How's your mom?"

She sobered up quickly. "She's dying, what do you think?" and then she added more softly. "They say I'll be an orphan in two months. Happy eighteenth birthday."

She yawned slightly. Reid smiled down her. "You know, this whole bet-you've risked nothing."

"Underage drinking," she answered in a sing-song voice as they slowly made their way down the hall. He snorted. "That doesn't count. Almost everyone drinks underage."

She frowned at this. "You're right, you win, I lose."

"You lose or you don't want to try to win," he asked and she let her head fall on his shoulder as they reached her dorm room. She shrugged. "Ask me when I'm sober."

"No, because you just forfeit." He laughed and she smiled. "Yeah, I guess I do."

He leaned up against the door jamb as she leaned back against the door to stare at him. He grinned at her wolfishly. "So, the first thing you have to do for me-"

Amelia snorted. "Not tonight, Cowboy. I don't have drunk sex."

He feigned innocence. "Who said anything about sex?" he asked, causing her to roll her eyes as she turned away to unlock the door and reveal a queen sized bed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, "why do you get such a fancy bed?!"

"It's an RA room," she replied, throwing her purse across the room and proceeding to undress, pay no more attention to the young man standing in the doorway. When he didn't say anything she finally turned to him. "Goodnight," she said caustically.

He made face at her. "Like I'd pass up a chance to sleep in a bed this big!" he said, pulling of his jacket and shirt. "How did you get this room?"

She shrugged. "When I got here, the dorms were full up so they gave me this one."

"And you can't sleep here," she added with finality, causing him to laugh. "And why not?"

"Because I sleep in the nude," she answered matter-of-factly, silencing him. He shrugged and smirked at her. "Well, I'll just sleep above the covers and you can't tell me I can't because you forfeit the bet which means you have to do whatever I tell you to for the rest of the year."

Amelia frowned and climbed in to the bed. "You're such an ass."

"No," he corrected, "I'm a good looking ass."

She snorted, but remained silent yet again. He lay down next to her and his grin widened. "So you agree?"

She rolled over to stare at him, studying his face for several seconds before replying in seriousness, "Yeah, but sometimes you're not."

"Yeah, right."

"No, I mean it," she said quietly, "there's a fine line between confidence and conceit and you have tendency to jump right over that line." When he didn't answer right away, she continued. "Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's downright charming, but only sometimes."

A large grin broke out across his face. "Am I charming now?"

She smiled at him sleepily, letting out a muffled laugh as her eyes drifted shut, "I think you know the answer to that question."

"Are you naked?" he asked. He heard her let out a long sigh and yawn. "No, because I know the minute I fall asleep you're going to climb under the covers. I'm not stupid, Reid."

He chuckled and climbed under the covers, "Actually, I wasn't but it's cold in here."

Instead of a reply all he heard was her emit a small sigh.

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When Amelia awoke, she moaned in displeasure; the part of the bed she was on was disturbingly lumpy. It didn't even smell like a bed. It smelled like boy. Something was missing and something was definitely wrong. She sat up and muttered groggily, "I don't remember bringing my body pillow here."

Then it began _moving_ and she finally looked down. It was not a body pillow, but a boy-a very familiar blond boy and she could only stare. His eyes fluttered open and widened. "Holy shit!" But he wasn't staring at her face. He was staring at something a little farther down south. That's when she noticed that sticking out from beneath the pillow next to him was her hot pink lace bra. She let out a small shriek and fell off the bed. She half groaned and half whimpered. "I'm never getting drunk again."

Reid peered over the side of the bed at her. "What were you doing?"

"What was I doing?" she exclaimed, "You're the pervert who pulled off my bra."

"If it makes you feel any better, that's one of the best pairs I've ever seen."

She glared at him in disgust, "you can be such a pig."

Amelia shuffled into the bathroom, one arm over her chest, and rummaged through the medicine cabinet until she found the Asprin. When she closed the cabinet, Reid's reflection was smiling at her in the mirror.

"You know what today is?"

"The day you stop bothering me finally," she mumbled. He laughed and leaned against the door frame. Amelia was suddenly painfully aware that all he was wearing were boxers. "No, it's the first day of you having to do whatever I say."

"What do you want me to do? Your laundry?" she asked jokingly and he smirked, causing her to narrow her eyes. "What?"

"I think it's time _we_ took a shower."

She started to laugh until she realized he was being serious. "What?"

He pulled her arm away from her chest and stared at her hungrily. "Well, I just think if we're going to have a sort of……relationship a little more friendly than friendship that we should get to know each other."

She could feel herself reddening and his smile deepened. He turned on the shower and said quietly, "I promise I won't try anything."

Amelia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped into steaming shower.

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The entire period of Latin, all Amelia could do was tap her pencil nervously. Her leg began to twitch and she gripped her pencil as if trying to steady her body. She had seen Reid naked. She had _touched_ him. All she could see was his naked form and her body still burned in the areas he had touched.

"Amelia, are you okay?" Lucy asked, causing her to snap her pencil in half and nearly groan. The red-head stared at her in surprise, her bright green eyes, questioning.

"I'm quite sure that I'm not," she whispered, heatedly. Lucy frowned. "You're just so tense."

She sank deeper into her seat and bit her lip, "Luce, you have _no idea_."

She heard Reid laughing from to rows behind and turned to glare at him, but felt her efforts fail when he grinned, his piercing blue eyes smoldering, before winking at her. Just the way he looked at her, the unsaid insinuation in his eyes caused her to picture his washboard abs that led all the way down to…….she whimpered softly. "I hate my life." Amelia let her head slam against her textbook hard and said rather loudly, "That's _it_, I'm moving to Boston."

"Are you alright Miss Thorne," the professor asked sarcastically. Without bothering to lift her head, she gave him a thumbs up, causing the class to break out in laughter.

"Miss Thorne," he said, his tone deepening. She finally sat up, glaring at him, to which he said, "Do we have a problem?"

"Oh not at all," she said, smirking, "please, go on with your absolutely _riveting_ lecture."

Lucy stifled a laugh next to her and she smirked even more. He pointed to the door and Amelia gathered her books. As the door shut behind her, she turned around threw her fingers up in a peace sign against the window and the class erupted in applause. Latin was never anyone's favorite.

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After class, Reid was surprised to find Amelia's friend, Lucy next to him, staring at him in awe. He raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

She bit her lip and her eyes clouded over in lust. "I'm Lucy, Amelia's friend."

"I know who you are." She continued her voice deepening, "I need a tutor for Chemistry and I was wondering if you could help me."

"I'm not taking Chemistry until next semester," he said, as he threw his books into his locker.

"I know." He stopped and turned to look at her. She was grinning.

Reid grinned. He had to admit, the girl wasn't bad looking and it had been a long time since he had been with a red head. "I have plans to go to the bar next Friday with some friends, but I doubt they'd mind if you came along."

He could just imagine the look on Amelia's face when he strolled into Nicky's with Lucy on his arm. Lucy nodded.

He smirked. "Good. Pick you up at ten."

For a moment, Reid felt a pang of regret for what he had done. If Amelia cared about him, she would be extremely upset. _If_, he thought, which was why he felt it for only a moment.

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Amelia stood in the communal shower after PE, letting the cool water cool her and calm her frazzled nerves. Amelia didn't like showering in the locker rooms. It was too loud and she couldn't think properly. She closed her eyes and let the water wash over her face. The moment her eyes closed she saw Reid's face and she opened them, letting the water blur her vision.

"Looks like someone's skipping class."

Reid was standing behind her, with a towel wrapped around his waist and a huge grin plastered on his finely chiseled face. "Just think, two showers together in one day."

"I was trying to think," she snapped, "and that's why I'd prefer it if you'd let me shower alone."

"Ames, honey, why so uptight?" he asked as he whipped his towel of and hung it on the door in one swift movement. He turned on the faucet next to her and sighed as the water hit his chest. "Nothing like a cold shower to wake you up."

"You know, sometimes I think your stalking me," she said, lifting her soap only to have him snatch it out her hands. She glared at him but remained silent as he worked the soap into a lather in his hands. She jumped when he reached toward her and began to message her shoulders. "That's stupid and we have deal. So when I tell you you need to relax, then you're supposed to relax. So, shut up and let me help you."

Amelia tried hard not, but her muscles had begun to relax of their own accord and she could feel herself swaying into his touch until finally she was against his chest.

"I'm beginning to think," he whispered into her ear, causing her moan inadvertently, "you look better wet than dry."

His lips found her neck and he pulled her around to face him. He crushed her against his chest and gazed down at her, his eyes confused and full of lust. Amelia's body felt limp and she stumbled when he abruptly let her go. He didn't say anything as he grabbed his towel and Amelia was left to star after him in confusion.

He had slept next to her every night for the past week. Her sheet and pillows smelled of him and when she would roll over to find him gone, it made her chest ache. If she didn't know any better she would think she was beginning to love him. But Amelia doubted she could ever love someone who didn't love her back, didn't even care about her. She hoped she never would.

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**song is 4ever, by the veronicas**


	6. Chapter 6

**Original characters from the covenant do not belong to me. Amelia does.**

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All Amelia could do was stare in dumbfounded shock as Lucy leaned on Reid's shoulder while he and another bar patron shot pool.

"Just stop looking at them," Sarah said quietly, trying to soothe her. "if you stop looking at them it won't hurt as much."

Sarah guided Amelia into the bathroom, in a bid for privacy. Amelia felt herself starting to tear up and tried to laugh it off. "You know, this rejection thing really sucks."

"Do you want Caleb to drive you home?" Sarah asked. She sniffed, "I don't really feel like company so I'll just call a cab."

"He really seemed to like you," Sarah said sadly.

"Yeah, well he seemed like a lot of things," she muttered, digging through her purse for her cell phone as they emerged from the bathroom through the tacky curtain of beads hanging in the doorway. "I think I forgot it."

When Sarah didn't answer her, she looked up. Reid was leaning against the table and Lucy was leaning against him and they were kissing.

"Ames," Sarah whispered. Amelia knew what the expression on her face must have looked like. She could feel everything shatter, but she wouldn't let him see it. _I'm cold, I don't feel, I'm not hurt. I'll never hurt._ She held her chin up high as she walked out of the bar. When Lucy called after her, "Night, Amelia" she waved her off dismissively.

She didn't leave her dorm room until she got the call. Amelia was sure that soon she wouldn't be able to feel anything at all.

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"What's wrong, sweetheart," her mother, Aurore, asked. Her eyes, though dim were still full of fire and vitality. They were the only part of her that even remotely resembled what she had looked like before the cancer had begun to eat away at her.

Amelia set her acoustic guitar down and smiled at her. "Absolutely nothing."

"I can tell when you're lying, Amelia," her mother scolded lightly.

And so she told her everything. She told her about meeting Reid, about Nathan and his death, and Reid and Lucy. Her mother listened without a word and when Amelia finished she finally spoke.

"Do you remember that boy who lived across the street from us when we live in Maryland?" she asked gently. Amelia's brow furrowed. "Bobby Andrews?"

She nodded. "That boy was crazy about you."

"That boy _hated_ me," she corrected. "He was always saying 'Amelia I wanna feel ya' and making fun of me."

"But do you remember what happened before we moved?"

She shook her head. Her mother smiled. "He kissed you."

Amelia shook her head. The medication had to be kicking in. "Mom, Bobby Andrews never kissed me, and I don't see what this story has to do with what's going on now."

Her mother sighed and patted her hand. "That boy you're dealing with right now has never had feelings for someone, Amelia, and he doesn't know how to handle them. He may not even realize he has them, but he does.

"He hurts you to distance himself, sweetheart, it's how men work." She pushed Amelia's hair back. "Oh my girl, there has always been something about you that just made the world turn, made people fall in love with you."

"No offense, but I think you're a bit biased," Amelia said, causing her mother to slap her half-heartedly on the knee.

"I'm serious, you're different, Amelia Aurore Thorne. You're different in a way that stops men dead in their tracks, whether you notice or not."

Amelia felt herself blush and stood. "If I'm going to stay over night, I should probably get some coffee. Do you want me to see if I can bribe one of the male orderlies to give me a cookie for you?"

Her mother smiled, her eyes laughing, "No, I'll be fine." Her eyes shifted to the door and Amelia finally felt someone watching them. Reid stood in the doorway, uncertain of whether to say anything.

"I'll be back," she whispered to her mother, never taking her eyes of Reid.

Once out in the hall, she stared up at Reid blankly, forcing the hurt from her eyes. Reid shifted from foot to foot. "When you didn't show up for class the last couple of days we all started to worry. Then Sarah went to the Provost's and he told her that you'd gotten the call that your mom….."

"Was about to die?" she finished for him. He nodded, sympathy in his eyes. "Why are you here, Garwin?" she asked stonily. He shrugged, but didn't answer. "Sarah's coming by later."

"I need to go get coffee," she muttered, stepping around him, and leaving Reid to stand alone in the hallway staring after her.

"You must be that boy," came a raspy voice from inside the room. He walked a little ways in and Amelia's mother gestured towards the chair Amelia had been sitting in. He took it hesitantly and she began to speak.

"I know you heard what I said to her and I'm not going to make you talk to me about it," she said bluntly. She stared off at the doorway. "When Amelia was born, it was as if the world sighed. There's something about her that makes you want to be better, especially when you're not.

"I know she thinks she's at fault for my being ill, but i don't think she'll ever know how everyone who has ever known her and loved her as lived for her." Her eyes focused and she pointed to the guitar. "Do you play?"

Reid shook his head. She snickered, "I didn't think so."

Aurore smiled. "Amelia comes here once a week, sometimes twice, and plays for me: sings too. She used to play and sing all the time, but something happened to her when I got sick. She just started back up not to long ago."

She glanced at him sideways. "Why _are_ you here?"

Before he could answer, Amelia returned, followed by Sarah. Amelia was carrying a guitar case and Sarah was carrying a small portable stereo. An orderly was standing behind them with a wheelchair.

"I had to bribe the whole staff to let me do this, but I knew you wanted me to play more," she jerked her head in the direction of the door, "they said since it's not that late yet, we can go out to the courtyard."

Aurore smiled up at her daughter, "Of course."

An amp was already set up and several patients and their families along with some of the staff were waiting out in the courtyard. Amelia looked around nervously, before saying in a loud, yet wavering voice, "My mom had me when she was sixteen and so, instead of being just mother and daughter we are also best friends. Mom, I know you miss being able to listen to your music as loud as possible and since your music isn't exactly embraced by all I figured it was high time you got to hear it just once more, and luckily, I was able to find a collection of your favorite songs minus the electric guitar and I'm making sure it's turned all the way up to awesome."

Sam had hooked up the stereo while Amelia plugged in her guitar and tuned it quickly. All of the songs were punk rock and Amelia's mother knew every word, singing along with her as best she could. Near the end, she stopped the stereo and an orderly handed Amelia her acoustic guitar. Addressing her mom and no one else she said quietly. "Mom, after Dad died you sat in the bedroom with his old shirts surrounded by pictures and I finally found one for you to keep here with you." She handed her a crumpled picture. "That's the only picture I have of all three of us," to which her mother replied, "it's the only one."

Amelia tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes and Reid felt for her. She finally added, "And I found a song to fit you both and possibly anyone else listening."

She laughed nervously. "And there sure are a lot of you." Some of the people laughed and she began to tune the acoustic and addressed the crowd. "My Dad die a few months after I was born and my grandmother would tell me all of the romantic stories she could about them and about how heartbroken my mom was. I'm sure some of you have heard this song and if you have, you've probably listened to it for hours after having your own hearts broken so, I hope it helps those who need it."

She shut her eyes tightly and tried to forget all the people. She really needed to sing for her mother on this one. She really needed to sing for herself.

_I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry  
And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now_

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you_

_I've never felt this way before  
Everything that I do reminds me of you  
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor  
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now_

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you_

_We were made for each other  
Out here forever  
I know we were, yeah  
All I ever wanted was for you to know  
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul  
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah_

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you  
_

It wasn't until the end of the song, when she looked down at the ground that she realized she had been staring at Reid the whole time, but she knew it couldn't have been helped because she truly felt that way.

Her mother smiled at her lovingly and hugged her before saying in a small, tired voice. "I think it's time for a nap."

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**okay so, I had to add the song, when you're gone by Avril Lavigne because it's so pretty and listening to it really helped me figure out how I wanted the relationship to play out**


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, I own nothing**

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It was raining out and Amelia had been staring at the broken earth for several minutes. Nobody had come, but Sam, Reid, Casey, and the others. She didn't really count Reid among them because he had been stupid enough to bring Lucy. She placed a basket of lilies and whit tulips next to the headstone and felt it suddenly flood her. Drenched from head to toe and the last person left standing next to her mother's grave she felt the loneliness engulf her in crashing, heavy, wave. The flood burst forth and she had to clutch her chest to keep from collapsing as the tears poured out hot and furiously.

"Amelia, everyone's waiting."

"I think you've done enough." She said, wiping her eyes. "I wish you'd just leave me alone."

"We have a deal remember," he said lamely, trying to make her laugh. Her shoulders began to shake and she turned to laugh coldly at him. "A deal. I'm afraid that went right out the window when you brought _her_ into this."

"Leave Lucy out of this."

"Why?" she snapped, causing Reid to wince, "don't think I don't know what's happened between you two-what's happening now. I'm not an idiot.

Her eyes flashed, and instead of their usual warm chocolate hue, they were an icy silver.

"I don't enjoy being toyed with or being played the fool," she glared at Lucy, who was standing not far away watching them argue.

Reid shook his head, feel a chill creep through his body as something in the atmosphere change. The others had gotten out of their cars, sensing the shift.

"You're not Amelia," he whispered.

"She thinks she's so lucky, so perfect." She was staring at Lucy full on and Reid could see her shiver under Amelia's arctic stare. "That perfect, _flawless_ skin."

She turned back to Reid and cocked her head to one side. "I wonder how she'll feel about her luck now."

The air crackled and Amelia's eyes rolled back and she began to fall. Reid caught hold of her just as she neared the ground and saw a flash of yellow of in the distance.

Her head pounded and when she opened her eyes, she could barely see, as the tiny bit of light that trickled through the blinds in her window blinded her and caused her to cry out in agony. Her body was stiff and ached with each movement.

"What the fuck did you do to my girlfriend," someone snarled. Her vision blurry, Amelia tried desperately to focus on Reid, who was sitting in the corner of her room in a plus recliner.

"What," she asked, trying to understand. "Lucy?"

"Yeah, her," he spat, "the one who looks like she been whipped for days on end. You know, the one who's in the hospital with large, gaping, wounds all over her body."

"Whipped?" she asked again, still not understanding. Casey held up a hand at Reid to quiet, and searched Amelia's eyes with his own equally dark eyes. "You don't remember?"

"I just remember cry next to Mom……" she trailed off, biting her lip to stop the tears from falling.

"You've been asleep for a week," he said gently. "The doctor in the infirmary said it's just emotional exhaustion or some crap, but we know it's something more."

**Review if you like **


	8. Chapter 8

**I own nothing except for the characters I created for this story.  
**

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"Look, Lucy wasn't exactly a great friend to me and while I'm bitter about that, I would never intentionally hurt Lucy," she said, trying desperately to make Reid believe her, to make him stop hating her.

"Intentionally," Caleb mused, causing Pogue to narrow his eyes. "What are you thinking, Dude?"

"So, it really didn't bother you knowing Lucy purposefully pursued Nathan while you were dating him and then Reid once she was sure you had feelings for him?" Caleb asked.

"Well….." Amelia felt herself wilt slightly as Reid stared her down. "Yeah, but I would never-"

Caleb cut her off. "You didn't want to hurt her when Reid brought her to Nicky's?"

"Look we get it, she was flaunting that she could get anything and, yeah, it sucked!" she snapped, shocking herself.

"And then Reid brings her to your own mother's funeral-"

"People think they're above it all."

"What?" Caleb asked her. When Amelia looked up her eyes where an icy silver that Reid recognized all too well.

"They think they can do as they please, paying little heed to whom they harm along the way, never thanking those who made it possible for them to have all that they have-all that they treasure. I watched her take and take and I watched as her conceit grew."

"You're not Amelia, are you?" Caleb asked.

She didn't answer. "So she's possessed?" Tyler asked. "She's not gonna puke on me is she?"

"No, idiot," Reid snapped, wishing he would shut up. Amelia's head snapped to the side to look at him. "And you're just as bad as her, just as conceited. Your hubris astounds me."

Inexplicably, the hard eyes softened. "But I can't. Not to you-_never_ to you."

The atmosphere crackled and she leaned closer to Reid and he couldn't help but stare at her in awe.

"Why are you so special, Reid Garwin?" She asked, her voice echoing ethereally as she cocked her head to one side. She jerked her hand in a dismissive manner. "It doesn't matter, soon she shall be gone."

"She?" Reid asked, suddenly fearful of what the answer might be.

"Amelia."

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Reid wasn't sure, but it seemed as if everyone was cutting him out. Amelia and Tyler had stopped sitting next to him in class and instead sat next to each other. During lunch, everyone made sure to scatter when they saw him. Some friends. What hurt the most, was that when Amelia looked at him or she saw him, it was as if she didn't because it was as if she looked straight through him. It was high time he found out why everyone was abandoning him.

Somehow, Amelia had gotten Tyler to start skipping class with her, something Reid had been trying to do since the beginning of middle school, and everyday they would sit outside under an oak tree. Amelia would draw and Tyler would lay down in the grass and talk. When it became apparent that Amelia was too absorbed in her drawing and Tyler was too absorbed in their conversation, Reid felt it was safe to approach.

"Why do you keep drawing such depressing pictures?" Tyler asked, her, rolling on his side to get a better look at her drawing. Amelia didn't look up from the face she was sketching. "Caleb said if I draw what I see in my dreams it might help us figure out what's going on."

"You draw him a lot."

"I see him a lot." She stared at the piercing eyes and dark hair. "It's never a pleasant dream when I do."

They were finally aware of someone standing over them. Tyler frowned at Reid. Amelia simply looked back to her drawing and adjusted her glasses. It was the first time Reid had ever seen her with glasses on and she looked cute.

"I think you better talk to him."

Tyler sighed, and got up. He guided Reid a little ways away. "I know why you're here."

When Reid didn't reply immediately, Tyler continued. "Look, she hasn't had a….whatever the hell those things were for over a month because she's never around you. Caleb and Pogue figured if she stayed away from you and your girlfriend, it wouldn't get worse and we'd have more time to figure it out."

"Is it working?" Reid asked. Tyler made a face. "Yes and no. She hasn't done that thing, but she's having nightmares-really bad ones."

"So, do you guys have any ideas? Yes and no. Pogue had some ideas, but so far none of them have been correct. He, Caleb, and Sarah spend most of their time in the library researching it."

Reid nodded. "How's Andrea," he asked. Tyler glared at him. "We broke up almost two months ago. I thought you knew that."

Reid was silent for a moment. "Sorry man."

Tyler shrugged. "Don't be. I don't think it was supposed to work out."

Tyler's expression grew sad for a moment. "Sorry we missed you're ascension and all."

He shook his head. "Don't be. I've been an ass and I kind of deserved being alone on that one."

"Did it hurt?"

Reid just nodded and Tyler said quietly, "If you want, I can call you if we figure anything out."

Reid just nodded and Tyler began to walk back to Amelia, who had stopped drawing and was staring off to her right with a strange expression on her face, but Reid didn't see anything when he followed her gaze.

"Hubris," Reid called out suddenly, causing Tyler to turn around and gawk at him as if he had gone crazy. "Is that like some spell from Harry Potter or something?"

But Reid didn't answer. He had already turned, racing towards the library. When Tyler called after him, he didn't answer. He burst through the doors to the library causing everyone to either jump and drop their books or glare at him. He paid them no heed as he hurried over to Pogue, Caleb, and Sarah, who were staring at him warily and said, breathlessly, "Hubris."

"Yeah, we know, you're chalk full of it," Pogue said, returning to the book he was looking through. It was about possession and Reid closed it, causing Pogue to almost jump out of his chair. "You're looking in the wrong book. Hubris, it said hubris."

"Yeah?" Caleb asked not following. Reid rolled his eyes. "Who do you know that uses a word like 'hubris'?"

"Amelia," Pogue said slowly and Reid shook his head. "But it wasn't Amelia that said it," he said vehemently. "It was whatever is _inside_ her. Hubris is Greek right?"

"How do you know what hubris is?" Sarah asked, clearly surprised. Reid frowned. "World Lit was really the only class I ever paid attention in and that's what was in most of those plays, I think-whatever, anyway, seriously, I think I'm on to something."

"I think you are, too," Caleb said finally, "which means we are definitely looking in the wrong books."

Several hours later, Caleb sighed and turned a book around to show the rest of the group. "We have a _huge _problem."

"Okay, so what is it? Some kind of weird Greek demon? Are there Greek demons? Or are they all just demons?" Reid asked.

"It's not a demon," Caleb said ominously. Sarah stared at him worriedly. "Well, then what is it?"

"It's a god."


	9. Chapter 9

**I own nothing. Just Amelia. Enjoy.  
**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Reid blinked. He wasn't sure he had heard Caleb correctly. Caleb continued. "Her name is Nemesis and she's the god of divine retribution, justice, and vengeance. The name Nemesis is related to the Greek word _νείμειν, _meaning 'to give what is due.' Says here she is rumored to be the mother of Helen of Troy and was sometimes depicted as Aphrodite and Artemis to represent her two aspects: kindness and mercilessness. They say after time she was depicted as just Aphrodite, and was considered just as beautiful as Aphrodite-"

"No argument there," Pogue muttered, causing Caleb to only glare as he continued, "But most importantly, one of her symbols is a scourge, which is a whip."

"Lucy," Reid muttered, staring at the picture in the book.

"But how would an ancient god get trapped in a human body?" Sarah asked, "I mean, it would have had to have been summoned or something right?"

"Question is, what would have the power to summon a god?" Pogue asked.

Caleb's face was set in determination. "Unless Amelia was created to hold said god."

"Caleb, she has parents," Sarah said, shaking her head, "I mean it would have to be on record and everything."

"Unless, it was like some Sci-Fi Star Wars shit," Reid piped up. They all stared at him as if he were crazy, but no one argued, so he continued, "You know, how Anakin had a mom, but he was made entirely of medi-whatevers and he didn't really have a father or mother. Maybe that's what happened with her and her mom minus the force."

"It's weird when you make sense," Caleb said finally, before turning to Pogue and Sarah, "and it looks like we'll be doing some file hacking."

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Reid was sitting next to Lucy in her dorm room watching television. The attacks on Lucy had stopped just as abruptly as they had started and the wounds had vanished without a trace. Yet sitting next to Lucy, all Reid could think about was Amelia and how she was, if they had told her what was hiding inside her. His cell phone rang and he jumped slightly. Lucy frowned. "Who's that?"

"Caleb," he said absently and she replied. "I thought you guys didn't talk anymore."

He frowned. "Well now we do. Hello?"

"You were right," Caleb said immediately. "Well, as far as the father is concerned. She shares none of his DNA. The only thing we don't understand is how she shares her mother's."

Reid just nodded and noticed Lucy staring at him. He made a face and turned away, prompting her to pout slightly. "Well, do you have any ideas?"

"That, we're working on, but when we have any, we'll tell you," he hung up abruptly and Reid frowned at his phone.

"You know, if you want to go hang out with them, just go hang out with them," Lucy snapped. Reid glared at her. "Why are you so pissy? I haven't done anything to you."

"That's just it!" she exclaimed. "We never do anything. Anytime we're together, all you do is sit there and stare off into space."

She crossed her arms. "I know you're just dating me to make Amelia jealous, Reid."

"No, that's why you're dating me," he retorted. She glared at him. "Then why are you dating me?"

He didn't answer and she shook her head. "I'd be okay with it if you just told me."

"Do you even like me?" he asked. She made a face. "What does that have to do with it?"

He sighed, but felt a little relieved deep down. "That's what I thought. Bye, Lucy."

"What do you mean, 'bye'," she asked, a worried look on her face. Reid didn't answer her as he walked out the door.

"Reid!" she called after him. He still didn't answer.

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All his time was spent in the library now with Caleb, Pogue, and Sarah. Amelia's drawings littered the table and none of them were less than depressing and disturbing. In each drawing was the same man. In some it was just him smiling sadistically out at them, his hard eyes gleaming. In others, he was torturing unknown people, throwing them into fires, slitting their throats, and the images became more graphic, crueler.

They had taken to taking turns watching her at night, making sure her nightmares wouldn't turn violent, and tonight was Reid's turn. Almost immediately after falling asleep it happened-the first attack of the night. She screamed for several minutes as he shook her awake and when she finally did come out of her dreadful slumber, she threw her arms around him and cried into his neck.

"So many people, so much screaming," she sobbed. He pulled away from her and wiped her tears from her cheeks softly. "If you need me, I'll be right there," he said soothingly, pointing to the chair next to the bed. She shook her head. "Would you stay next to me?"

When she hesitated she shook her head. "It's just that, if you're lying next to me when I fall asleep I won't have such bad nightmares."

He finally nodded and she curled up against him, molding herself to his body perfectly. She smelled of violets, a scent Reid hadn't realized he had missed so much.

"Does Tyler sleep next to you?" He couldn't help asking. When she nodded, he felt something tighten in his chest. Amelia whispered softly, "but it's just not the same as when you do."

"Why?"

She sighed against him and said quietly, "You're so dense."

He laughed slightly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

She frowned. "Well, you'd think you'd get it since you're so conceited."

Reid became serious. "I'm really sorry about the whole Lucy thing."

She shrugged, but the hurt was evident in her eyes. "No worries. I should've known that was going to happen. I mean, you are an asshole and that _was_ a pretty asshole thing to do, so don't sweat it." She yawned and waved him off, saying in a joking voice, "Just don't expect me to sleep with you anytime soon, Garwin."

He couldn't help but grin. "I wouldn't dream of it, Ames."

"I can tell by the tone of your voice you are," she sighed. "You're a terrible liar."

"I am a great liar," he said indignantly, causing her to snort. "Bullshit. I've been able to tell when you lie since we were sophomores."

"How?"

"Honestly," she said looking at him in all seriousness, "you get this mischievous glint in your eyes and this tone in your voice that sounds like you're trying to be serious, but you're never serious so it's a dead giveaway."

He frowned. "Am I that easy to read?"

She shook her head. "Only sometimes. Like when it comes to what you're thinking or how you're feeling, I have no idea." Her frown deepened. "I don't think anyone does, Reid."

When he didn't respond she smiled at him. "Look, not that I don't love having heart to hearts with you because I do-can we go to sleep before I pass out while you whisper sweet nothings in my ear?"

Reid laughed and hugged her to him. "Sure thing, Thorne."

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It was almost the end of their senior year and they were no closer to figuring out how to help Amelia. Reid slammed the book he was studying shut and sighed. "You know, I was really hoping we would have this done and over with. I mean, this is supposed to be the best year ever and instead we're spending twenty-four-seven in the fucking library with out noses buried in books that smell like ass."

When they all stared at him he continued nervously, "I mean, I know this is important, but did you really expect to have more problems after the whole Chase thing?"

They shook their heads. Reid frowned. "See, that's what I mean. I thought that after the whole Chase thing we wouldn't have to worry about crazy magical things or whatever and instead of figuring out who I'm going to prom with-"

"You don't have a date for prom yet?" Pogue asked incredulously. They all gawked at him and he began to kick the leg of the table in a bid to seem nonchalant about the subject. "Well, I just haven't gotten around to it. Besides, Tyler probably doesn't have a date either."

The table went silent and Tyler buried his face deep inside one of the books. Sarah cleared her throat and looked at Caleb, who was staring everywhere but at Reid. Reid cut his eyes to Tyler. "Tyler, who are you going to prom with?"

Tyler sank further into his chair. Reid's eyes narrowed further and he barked loudly, causing several people to turn and stare at him, "Who are you going to prom with?"

Tyler's eyes darted around in sheer terror as he mumbled quickly, "Amelia and only because I felt bad that you hadn't asked her yet and prom is in like two weeks and I didn't think you were going to anyways."

Reid's jaw flexed in anger, but he didn't reply. Tyler was right; even though he was angry that Tyler was going with Amelia, he hadn't exactly planned on asking her himself-he just wasn't sure about anything. Instead, of answer he said quietly. "So do we have any ideas about who this douche bag who's bothering Ames is?"

Sarah smiled knowing at him and he glared back at her. She sighed. "Well, it would go faster if you had another stroke of genius."

He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think the fucker's Greek."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "And why not?"

Reid picked up on of the drawings and held it up for them all to see. "The style of this drawing don't look- he doesn't look Greek."

"Have you ever met a Greek?" Pogue asked and Reid rolled his eyes. "Well, that's a stupid question, retard. Yes, I've seen a Greek person before. It's just- her drawing style is totally.…Old Testament looking, wrath of God type shit."

Caleb snorted. "Why would something from the Christian faith summon an ancient Greek God?"

Reid made a face. "How the hell should I know? Do I look like a fucking expert on the subject?"

"That is the stupidest theory I have ever heard," Pogue said finally, shaking his head. Reid glared at him challengingly. "Well, then why don't you come up with one? _Shit_. You act like you're fucking Sir Isaac Newton or something."

"Again, you know who Newton is?" Sarah asked. Reid rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I don't always sleep through my classes."

"Yeah, well then what are you doing when you don't because I never see you take notes or actually pay attention," Tyler asked, accusingly and Reid shrugged. "What does it matter?"

Tyler narrowed his eyes at him and Reid glared. "_What?_"

Tyler shrugged. "Nothing, I just don't know why you can't answer the question."

Without looking up from the book she was flipping through Sarah answered Tyler. "Because he's embarrassed that the reason he actually semi-paid attention in class is so he could stare at Amelia when he thought no one was looking."

All four boys stared at Sarah for a long moment and she shrugged, avoiding Reid's angry stare. "What?"

"But Reid hated Amelia!" Tyler said. "And we took World Lit last year and General Physical Science sophomore year."

Sarah raised an eyebrow and shook her head, returning her attention to her book, "_God_, boys are dense."

Tyler's eyes widened. "Holy-"

Reid punched him. "_Shut up. _Do _not_ finish that sentence. Just stop talking before I beat your ass!"

"It's not my fault you're twitterpated," Tyler snapped. Reid glared at him. "I am _not_ twitterpated," he hissed.

"You're like a fucking two year old," Tyler hissed back, "I'm surprised you didn't sit behind her and tie her braids together or something."

Reid flipped him off. "She doesn't have braids, genius."

"So, you've thought about it," Tyler shot back. Reid huffed. "I really fucking hate you when you're a dick."

"No, you hate it when I'm right," Tyler replied smugly and Reid sat in silence for a few minutes before standing and muttering. "I'm gonna go for a walk or something."


	10. Chapter 10

**I won nothing.**

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Reid was in the middle of reading a book about Christian Demonology when he noticed Amelia standing right in front of him, staring at him with a determined expression on her face. He raised an eyebrow and lowered his book for affect. "Can I help you, Thorne?"

She took a deep breath. "Tyler said you'd say no but I'm asking you anyways because I know you're too stupid to say anything and I know it bothers you even thought I don't know _why_ it bothers you because no one will tell me-"

"Is there a point to this rambling, Ames?" he asked, eying her suspiciously. She took another deep breath. "Will you go to prom with me and Tyler?"

When he only stared at her blankly she continued. "Look, you'd be my date, not Tyler's date."

He raised his eyebrow further. "So you would have two dates?"

"Yeah so?" She put her hands on her hips defiantly. "What's wrong with that?"

He shrugged and tried not to smile. "Nothing. I think it's very….progressive of you."

She looked annoyed. "Well yes or no?"

He looked back down at his book. "Sure, I'll go with you."

"Good," she said, visibly relieved. She sat down next to him. "What are you reading?"

"It's a book on Christian Demonology," he replied, closing it to focus on her. She made a face. "What are you religious or something?" He burst into laughter. "No, not really."

She threw him a questioning look. "It's research into your….situation," he explained and she merely nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. "My situation sucks."

He patted her on the head. "I won't argue there."

"You know, high school isn't supposed to be this hard. I mean, why couldn't I just be confused about my sexual orientation or get knocked up like they do on Degrassi every other episode?"

He chuckled slightly. "Would you really want to be knocked up?"

She frowned somberly. "Better than having your entire existence threatened by some ancient god."

"Hey," Reid said, turning her to look at him, "it's gonna be okay."

She averted her gaze and began to pick at the grass. She shrugged suddenly. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like it is, like everything is on the verge of falling into place and then other times……" She looked up at the people milling about the campus, oblivious to her problems. "I'd give anything to any one of those people."

Without hesitation, Reid said, "I wouldn't."

He turned to watch them as well. "People go their whole lives wishing they were more than just normal and we actually get to _be_ that."

She didn't answer, just stared off into the distance. "Sarah and I are going dress shopping later today."

Reid only nodded. She stood up and he opened up his book again. She hesitated only for a moment asking, "It is gonna be okay though, right?"

Reid lied. "Yeah, everything's going to work out just fine."

If she knew he was lying she didn't let on. She simply nodded and turned to walk back to the dorms.

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"I already told you, I liked them both," Sarah sighed in frustration, but Amelia wasn't listening. She had spotted something dark poking out of a rack that hadn't yet been picked through. She snatched it up quickly and grabbed the last open dressing room.. Amelia carefully, pulled the dress on. It fit like a glove. When she stepped out of the dressing room, Sarah, who had already found her prom dress, inhaled sharply. "Oh, Ames. You look….." She didn't finish. Amelia bit her lip. "Is this the one?"

Sarah nodded. "If you don't buy it, I'll kill you."

"Really," Amelia asked, twirling. Sarah nodded excitedly, "It's perfect and it's totally you. Reid will love it on you."

Amelia frowned. "We're just friends, Sarah, and we'll only ever be friends."

Sarah sighed. "In my opinion Reid's really coming around-"

"He shouldn't _have_ to come around," Amelia exclaimed in exasperation, "that's the whole point! He should just know!"

"Did you know," Sarah asked pointedly, and when Amelia didn't reply said, "exactly, plus it's Reid. When it comes to his feelings, he's not very good at expressing them, let alone grasping them."

"Well, the thing is, Reid is one of those guys who just knows what he wants," she sighed, "I guess I'm just not one of those things."

"Well, then he's a jackass," Sarah said supportively, "and he's not worth your time."

Amelia sighed once more. "I wish I felt the same way."

Sarah decided it was time for a subject change. "Are you going out to his parents' cabin with the rest of us for the after party and to stay the weekend?"

"Yeah, I figure I might as well live it up while I still can." When Sarah remained silent, Amelia turned to find her friend on the verge of tears. "That's _not_ funny, Amelia Thorne!"

"Sarah," Amelia gasped sympathetically, "I was just joking."

Sarah became indignant. "Sometimes I think you're as dense as Reid. We care about you-all of us. Me, Caleb, Pogue, Tyler, and Reid; we all love you. Do you have any idea how much you mean to us?

"You pulled Tyler out of his shell, Reid's stopped being such an ass, Pogue's developed a sense of humor, and Caleb- well, because of you Reid doesn't use that much anymore and Caleb's relaxed some."

"Look, Sarah," Amelia said, sitting down next to her, "I didn't mean it. It's just that joking about it makes it less….."

"Scary?" Sarah asked and Amelia nodded before continuing. "It's like if I joke about it, then I don't worry as much and I feel like everything's going to be okay."

"I understand." Sarah smiled wryly. "I guess I just got carried away."

Amelia laughed. "You think?"

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Amelia hadn't thought she would be so nervous about the prom, but she was and wanted desperately just to stay home and watch a movie. Why dances were such a nerve-wracking experience she would never understand, but standing in front of the full length mirror in her mother's old bedroom, made her realize how crazy she felt. Sarah banged on the door for fifth time in what seemed like a minute.

"Amelia, you can't stay in there forever! You have to come out some time! Everyone's waiting."

Amelia gave herself another once over and fixed her hair again before, cautiously opening the door and peeking out. Sarah was glaring at her. "I would like to get there before the prom ends."

"I'm sorry," Amelia whispered. Sarah made a face and wrinkled her nose. "Why are we whispering?"

"I can't do this," she yelped and Sarah yanked her towards the stairs. "You can and you will or I'll beat you to death with one of my heels."

Sarah shoved her towards the stairs and Amelia peeked over the balcony. Pogue and his girlfriend, Kate, had already left and Tyler and Caleb were standing next to the door fussing with their ties while Reid leaned against the banister biting his nails nervously.

"Go!" Sarah hissed, shoving her again and almost causing her to lose her balance. Amelia threw her a glare over her shoulder and slowly stepped up to the stairs, inhaling sharply. She turned back to Sarah and asked with pleading eyes, "Please go with me."

Sarah rolled her eyes and groaned. "Fine."

They linked arms and lifted the hems of their dresses as they slowly descended the stairs. When none of the boys looked up, Sarah cleared her throat loudly causing them all to jump. Both girls became even more nervous when they just stared. Sarah leaned close to Amelia and whispered, "Maybe we should have stayed upstairs."

Tyler was the first to speak. "Wow, you guys look hot!"

Sarah glided confidently towards a speechless Caleb and Amelia tried not to look at Reid, but instead stared at Tyler, who was grinning at her. "Aren't you a classy Lady?"

She laughed slightly and accidentally locked eyes with Reid. He was staring at her, his mouth agape in wonder and awe. "What's the matter, Garwin," she joked nervously as she stepped between him and Tyler, "never seen a girl in a dress before?"

He shook his head. "Not that dress."

She smiled a little. "I'll take that ask a compliment."

Amelia linked arms with Tyler, who offered his arm proudly and took Reid's arm herself, as he was too stunned to move. Amelia smirked up at Reid and winked. "Get a hold of yourself, kid."

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Yet for the rest of the night, Reid could only stare at her- the way her hair cascaded over her should like sunlight and how when she moved it seemed as though she were gliding. Somehow Reid couldn't bring himself to talk to her and was instead forced to watch as she danced with Tyler, watch how she laughed at his jokes, and watch when she danced with Pogue and Caleb.

"You know," Sarah said from beside him, causing him to jump, "you should dance with her."

"I know."

Sarah sat down next to him at the table. "Would you just go talk to her?"

When he didn't answer Sarah reluctantly went to join the rest of the group on the dance floor. Reid watched as Tyler broke out the sprinkler and they all laughed and joined in. Reid felt his stomach knot up as he finally headed towards them and spun Amelia around to face him. "Hey, Thorne, it's picture time."

"If you want a picture with me, you'll have to take all the pictures I want," Amelia said smiling up at him. He smiled back and they all head over to where the photographer was set up. Again Reid could only look at Amelia as the photographer snapped away at them and when they were done she grabbed Tyler, saying "And now some with both my dates!"

"Have fun with it," the photographer instructed, which was the worst possible thing he could have done because both Reid and Tyler went wild, Reid having loosened up. The group photo was just as bad. There were arms and legs everywhere as each boy tackled the other and hauled both Sarah and Amelia over their shoulders. Reid was sure his favorite photograph would be one of the group shots in which Amelia had leaned up and kissed him on the cheek when he was least expecting it.

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**Posted pictures of the girls' dresses on my profile. Review if you like.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I own nothing.  
**

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Pogue and Kate had left early so that Pogue could drop her off at home before heading to the cabin. When Amelia asked Sarah why Kate never hung out with the rest of them, Sarah explained that the two of them had gotten into a big argument and things had never been the same.

"Whoo," Reid howled, throwing his arms around Amelia and Sarah, "Party!"

"Yeah," Amelia yelled, trying not to laugh too hard. Sarah pulled away from them, taking Caleb's hand as he led her to his car. Tyler jerked his thumb in the direction of his hummer. "I think I'll drive myself." He gave Amelia a quick wink. They watched as Caleb and Tyler pulled out in succession and Reid dug around in his pocket for his keys. Amelia laughed suddenly. "You didn't leave them in your room did you?"

Reid had stopped moving. "Reid," she laughed and he shushed her. "Do you hear that?"

There was low growling from somewhere in the darkness Amelia spotted the eyes first. "Reid, he's here."

Something knocked Reid to the ground and Amelia fell with him. The wolf was leaping through mid air right towards Reid. Amelia sat up quickly and threw out her hand towards the wolf, screaming, "No!"

A large wall of energy advanced from her palm, slamming into the wolf, causing it to yelp in agony as it was thrown several feet into a tree. Before she could look to Reid to see if she were okay, they were in his truck and she looked over to see his eyes were completely black. The locks clicked and the engine revved though there was no key in the ignition. "Are you okay?" Reid asked as they sped out of the parking lot and down the road. She nodded. After several minutes, she looked over at him and said in an even, quiet voice, "Don't tell the others. I don't want to ruin tonight for them with this."

Reid pulled over. "Are you okay," he asked turning towards her. She nodded and he let out a sigh of relief and leaned his head back. He turned to look at her once more. "Did you know you could do that?"

"No idea," she said. He grinned, his eyes sparkling. "That was so awesome! Did you see how far that fucker flew?!"

She matched his grin. "It was pretty cool." She punched his arm playfully. "And what about you with the whole blinking and starting the truck without your keys thing. That was pretty impressive."

He nodded and she smiled. "I've never seen you use before; just Caleb that one time when he levitated his car."

He shrugged and pulled back onto the road. He turned to her suddenly. "'Blinking'?"

She shrugged her response. "What would you call it?"

He laughed. "I don't know."

They were silent for a while and she said quietly. "I'm glad you're okay, Reid."

He smiled to himself. "I'm glad you're okay, too, Ames," he said just as quietly before adding, "and I agree, I don't think we should tell them either. Besides, I doubt that thing knows where we're going so it can't really follow us."

Once at the cabin, Reid carried in their bags. People were already there and Reid led her through the crowd to an empty bedroom so she could change. Once she changed into her gold dress and matching stilettos she headed out to find Reid and the others. The crush of people in the cabin was stifling and she had to shove her way out to the deck. When she didn't see them on the deck, she assumed they were inside and decided she would rather wait for them to come find her. The faint sound of water lapping against land brought her attention to the lake. In the light of the full moon it looked serene and Amelia decided the shore line would be the perfect place to sit down. She removed her heels and stepped cautiously from the steps from the deck to the shore and was pleasantly surprised to feel sand instead of sharp rocks. _Reid has some smart parents,_ she thought to herself as she neared the water and sat down, pulling her legs up close to her chest.

Despite the incident with the wolf, it was turning out to be an amazing night, and she was beginning to hope the weekend would be just as wonderful.

"_There_ you are," Reid said, walking towards her. He had stripped down to just his white dress shirt and his tie hung around his neck. The collar half upturned and it was unbuttoned enough to flash a little bit of his chest. His feet were bare and she noticed he was carrying things in both hands. She smiled up at him, a questioning expression on her face as he set down a CD player. He only grinned at her as he sat down a bottle of champagne and pulled to glasses from the back pockets of his black dress pants. When Amelia bit her lip to keep from giggling he raised an eyebrow at her and said in a chastising tone, "Hey, give me a break, I'm trying to be-"

"You're doing a great job," she cut in to reassure him and he smiled. "I like that dress on you."

"Really," she asked. His eyes clouded over in a very familiar way. "Oh yeah, you look hot."

She covered her face with her hand as she began to laugh. "I can tell."

He uncorked the bottle of champagne and poured her a glass.

"Where'd you get this?" she asked, taking a sip. He grinned. "I borrowed it from my parents."

"I'm sure," she laughed. They sat in companionable silence. Amelia nodded toward the CD player. He grinned sheepishly. "I made you a mix CD."

She nearly choked on her sip of champagne. "Really?"

He merely nodded and turned it on. He stood and held his hand out to her and she took it. Though he was smiling his eyes were laced in vulnerability. "I never told anyone this, but summer of freshman year when my parents decided we were going to go on vacation to Rome, I met this girl named Francesca." His expression became sad. "I think she was the first girl I really liked. I spent all my time with her and she was my first. I thought I'd never be as happy as I was with her, and then one day I saw her kissing some guy while my mother and I were out at a restaurant. That's when things kind of changed for me."

Amelia nodded in understanding. "That must have sucked."

Reid let out a laugh. "Yeah, it did." He became serious once more. "And then school started and you were there."

Amelia felt her eyes widen in surprise, but Reid continued. "You were just different and I could tell and I was attracted to you, but I didn't want to be-"

"Just listen to the damn song," he huffed finally, his patience running out and Amelia realized how right Sarah had been. Reid really couldn't handle talking about or confronting his feelings. He pushed play and she blinked. "I didn't know you listened to JEM."

Reid smiled. "I don't. Sarah let me go through her CDs."

Reid pulled her close and they began to sway to the music.

_Said there'd be no going back  
Promised myself I'd never be that sad  
Maybe that's why you've come along  
To show me, it's not always bad_

_Coz I can feel it, baby  
I feel like I'm falling for you  
But I'm scared to, let go  
I'm scared coz my heart has been hurt so_

_It's true I've become a skeptic  
How many couples really love  
Just wish I had a crystal ball  
To show me, if it's worth it all_

_Coz I can feel it, baby  
I feel like I'm falling for you  
But I'm scared to, let go  
I'm scared coz my heart has been hurt so  
Yeah I can feel it, baby  
I feel like I'm falling for you  
But I'm scared to, let go  
I'm scared coz my heart has been hurt so_

_And I've got to be sure  
Coz it's been so long  
And I cannot take the pain again  
If it all goes wrong_

Reid pulled away slightly, looking deep into her eyes. "Ames," he said softly, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, "I think I lo-"

Before he could finish, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Reid didn't move for a moment, but was soon crushing her against him.

_Coz I can feel it, baby  
I feel like I'm falling for you  
But I'm scared to, let go  
I'm scared coz my heart has been hurt so  
Yeah I can feel it, baby  
I feel like I'm falling for you  
But I'm scared to, let go  
I'm scared coz my heart has been hurt so_

_I want you so much  
I need you so much  
I want you so much  
I need you so much  
[believe me my love  
believe me my love_

Without breaking the kiss, Reid picked her up and started walking. Amelia was aware of the sound of people nearby and when she pulled away long enough to catch her breath, she realized they were on the deck and Sarah and the boys, among others, were staring at them with knowing looks. But she didn't care. Instead, she kissed him again, and let him pull her through the crowded cabin and into the dark, welcome seclusion of an empty bedroom. He slammed the door closed with his foot and Amelia began to hurriedly tear at his shirt-she was sure she heard a button rip off and became even more sure of it when Reid laughed into her mouth as he pulled his tie from around his neck. She bit his lower lip and he moaned before slamming her against a wall. Amelia shoved back, and he pulled her down to the bed with him and Amelia knew that being with Reid was the only thing that mattered. As he held her close and kissed her softly, she knew he felt the same.

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When Reid opened his eyes the next morning, Amelia wasn't next to him and he began to panic. He quickly patrolled the trashed cabin, for any signs of her. He found her sitting out on the deck in a chair with a thick quilt wrapped around her. She didn't look at him, but continued to stare out at the lake. "I watched you sleep for a few minutes when I woke up and then after a while I couldn't remember how I felt about you. I didn't feel anything for you." She sniffed and Reid was sure he could feel his heart breaking. Amelia turned toward him suddenly and pointed at her left eye. It was silver. "And then I saw this and I realized that it wasn't me that didn't love you, it was her." Reid knelt next to her and she shook her head. "I wasn't me, Reid. I don't-" She broke down, unable to continue.

"Hey." He hugged her to him and rubbed her back. "We're going to figure this out, okay? Together."

Amelia nodded against him and he helped her to stand, guiding her back inside. He kissed the top of her head. "First, I think we should take a nap, maybe spend the day in bed-just relax."

"What if I don't want to just relax," Amelia muttered, causing Reid laughed. Reid kissed her and when he pulled away he found himself staring into two very brown eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**I own nothing.**

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Amelia shook with laughter and Reid glared at her. "Stop moving or it'll look funny."

"I can't help it," she cried. "The pen tickles."

Reid adjusted the sharpie in his hand and leaned closer to her bare shoulder. Amelia buried her face further into the pillow under her head and kicked her leg. "Are you done?"

"Damn it Ames, don't fucking rush me!" he snapped, adding more slowly, "I want it to be perfect."

"Reid!"

"Okay, okay, I'm done," he said pulling away, "you can go look."

Amelia ran into the bathroom and turned her back towards the mirror, looking over her shoulder at what he drew. It was fairly detailed drawing of a heart with wings. An arrow ran straight through it and a thin trail of blood was dripping down the heart. Inside the heart was written "RG+AT". "Aw," she cooed, as she tackled him, "how completely sappy of you."

He hugged her and kissed her neck. "Oh, you love it."

"Mmhmm," she moaned into his mouth.

"Ames," Sarah said opening the door only to come face to face with a very naked Reid.

"Knock much?" he asked, not embarrassed in the least. Sarah could only stare in shock and when her eyes lowered, she shot Amelia a look of amazement and mouthed "Oh my God," to which Amelia replied with a silent yet equally enthusiastic, "I know!"

Reid rolled his eyes and shoved Sarah's head out of the door. "You and Ames can play later. Right now she's busy having 'Happy Fun Sex Time with Reid' so _go away_."

"But I need to pee and the only bathroom is in there," she called from the other side of the door. "There are bushes outside," he called back, prompting Amelia to throw a pillow at him. He groaned and opened the door. "You have 30 seconds."

Sarah rushed past him and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Reid picked up the pillow and threw it at Amelia, glaring as he shut the door. "Does 'Happy Fun Sex Time with Reid' not mean anything to you?"

She burst out laughing. "Not when you call it that!"

"Hey, man we were all thinking-" Tyler stopped short when he noticed Amelia.

"Tyler, you fucking idiot," Reid yelled angrily, shoving Amelia behind him so Tyler couldn't see her. "Knock!"

"You didn't put anything on the door handle," Tyler, yelped. "It's my fucking room, asshole," Reid yelled, hurling a shoe at Tyler as Sarah came out of the bathroom. "Both of you get out of my room now!"

As they closed the door, he yelled even louder for the entire group's benefit. "We'll come out when we're ready!"

He turned to Amelia angrily, who was gasping for air as she laughed. "I think someone's trying to tell us something," she said raggedly.

"What, that none of our friends know how to _knock_," he practically yelled, glaring at the door.

"No." She smiled and kissed him soundly. "It means it's time to get out of bed."

He grabbed her and pulled her back into bed. "But I'm not done loving on you," he whimpered into her neck as he kissed it."

"You have two hours," she said finally, trying to sound serious.

"I love you," he said smiling at her. She smiled back at him. "I love you, too."

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Reid was surrounded by fire. The flames licked his skin, causing blisters to form instantly and the flesh was seared from his arms. Standing in front of him was the yellow eyed man, laughing sadistically. Standing next to him was Amelia or Nemesis for her eyes were the color of ice and she was pointing a long sword at his throat. The same echoing voice he had heard back in Amelia's dorm room whispered through his mind and though the fire was excruciatingly hot he felt cold all the same.

"_Alastor,_" it whispered over and over as the fire began to die slowly and with out hesitation Nemesis turned, bringing the sword up in one swift yet elegant motion and sliced the man's neck and his body fell into the fire. A great wind whipped around Reid, kissing his skin soothingly and Nemesis stared down at him. Though her lips did not move, he could hear her soft, whispering voice. "_Reid._"

He shot up out of bed, sweating and breathing heavily. Amelia sighed and he turned toward her. She snuggled closer to him. Reid ran his fingers through her hair slowly and she sighed, her eyes fluttering open. "What's wrong?"

He only kissed and pulled himself out of bed and put on a pair of sweat pants. "Nothing's wrong, Ames, go back to sleep. I'm just gonna go talk to Caleb."

She sat up further. "If you can tell Caleb, you can tell me."

"I don't think your nightmares are nightmares," he said quietly, "I think they're warnings."

"Warnings?" she made a face, "but why would something be warning me?"

"Maybe because whatever summoned Nemesis isn't going to use her for good, but for evil. I also think I know the thing's name."

"What is it?"

"Alastor," he said quietly, frowning in thought, "and it sounds familiar."

Once Caleb was filled in on Reid's dream, they decided it would be best to head back to Spenser and return to their research into Amelia's situation.

Reid and Amelia were the first to leave. Although the roads were slick from rain, Reid refused to slow down.

"Do you not remember what happened when we first met?" she asked sarcastically.

Reid rolled his eyes. "I think that fighting the forces of evil is a little more important than my speeding Amelia."

"Oh yeah, well what if I'm knocked unconscious and can't heal you?" she retorted heatedly. Reid was losing his patience. "Well, then we'll just worry about it when it happens won't we?"

The truck stopped of its own accord and Reid hit the steering wheel. "Oh, what the fuck?"

He tried to rev the engine and when that failed he tried using magic to no avail.

"Reid," Amelia said quietly, staring straight ahead, "You need to blink us right now."

"What?" he asked. When he turned to face her she was gone. Reid threw open the car door and stared off into the darkness. "Amelia," he yelled as loudly as possible.

"Misplace something?"

Reid whipped around to see him-the man from Amelia's dreams staring at him with maniacal eyes. Amelia hung suspended in air next to him, unmoving. Her eyes were silver. Reid attempted to step forward and found he couldn't. The man gestured to his truck. "Let's get rid of that shall we? It's taking up so much room and if you're going to attempt to stop me as I'm sure you will, we're going to need room." With a flick of his wrist, the truck went flying into the nearby trees. He began to walk forward towards Reid and as he did, fire shot up from either side of the road, lighting his way.

"Who the _fuck_ are you?" Reid snapped, feeling his eyes burn as he instinctively readied himself to use.

"Well, I'm not a god like her," he said gesturing back at her, "I'm a fallen angel I suppose you could say."

"You're the executioner-Alastor."

"Yes," he smiled. "Ad guess who's turn it is to step up to the chopping block?"

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**I also forgot to mention the song in the last chapter is "Falling For You" by JEM. you can find it on her purevolume page.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I own nothing.**

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"What do you want?"

Alastor laughed. "What do I want?" He tapped his chin and paced. "What everyone on this pathetic planet wants: more power.

"You know working down there," he said pointing to the ground, "gets boring. I mean, you can only torture people in so many ways until after a few centuries it gets tedious and since I can't really do what I want….." He was at Amelia's side instantly, running his fingers through her windswept hair. "Well, when you control a God, Old Luce can't really tell you what to do."

"I swear to God if you hurt Amelia-"

"Amelia?!" He lifted her face. "This is not Amelia. Amelia does not exist-she is not real, she is nothing. Don't you stupid little shits get it? There is only Nemesis."

He brought her closer to Reid, close enough that her hair kissed his cheeks ever so softly. Reid could not reach out to her no matter how hard he tried. Alastor leaned in close to Reid's ear. "Amelia is nothing more than the emotions forced upon Nemesis by her human form. She is her humanity." He lifted her chin, so that Reid could see into her pale, unseeing eyes. There was suddenly a flicker within them and they shifted to look at him. Alastor did not notice and Reid heard it clearly in his mind-her voice whispering, "_Move, Reid."_

Summoning all his strength, Reid blasted him with as much energy as he could at once, causing Alastor to fly back and the flames lining the road to go out. Amelia, or rather Nemesis, came to stand beside Reid. There was an otherworldly glow about her, and he couldn't help but stare at her. "Go, Reid," she said, not bothering to look at him. "You have done enough."

"I'm not leaving you here," he said, vehemently. Nemesis smiled in amusement. "I will be fine. This will not take long."

"And what about Amelia," he asked, turning to face her, "what happens to her after this is over, huh?"

"Would it really be so hard for you to live without her?" she asked, curiosity lacing her voice. Before he could stop himself, Reid grabbed her; placing both hands on either side of her face and kissed her as deeply as he could. He felt something cool enter his mind, something soft and gentle and suddenly memories, secrets he kept from everyone, including himself poured forth.

_She entered the classroom quietly, her blond hair flowing down her shoulders in a shower of radiant light. She was so confident, so sure of herself. As she looked around the classroom, their eyes locked and Reid felt himself unable to move, unable to breathe. Instead of blushing as most girls did under his stare, she simply broke away and found a seat not far from Caleb and Pogue, speaking to no one. Amelia Thorne, the new girl, made Reid feel unworthy, inadequate. But he couldn't take his eyes off her._

_"Yeah, Dreamcatcher was the shit," he joked, causing the class to laugh. Amelia turned to look up at him and smiled. His skin sudden felt as if it were on fire. After class was over, he waited at the bottom of the steps for his friends, the other sons of Ipswich, and she passed by him, not even glancing his way. She passed so close to him, their hands touched and he could smell the subtle scent of flowers. That night he dreamt of violets._

_She had saved his life, somehow. He wiped the rain from her face. He had never felt skin as soft as hers._

_Reid couldn't understand why he kissed her at the pool, or why sleeping next to her in her room felt right. He couldn't understand what made her different or why he tried so hard to hurt her when he only wanted to make her his, make her love him the way he loved her. Yes, love. He realized it that day in the shower as he lost himself in the feel of her skin and the look in her eyes. It was too much. _

_The way the moonlight lighted on her skin through the window tightened his chest in a way he had never felt. Being with her made everything else seem so trivial. It made him want more. No other woman would ever make him feel the same and he knew this. Reid also knew that at any moment, she could be taken from him. All he could think of was her, how it felt being with her in his bed, how his heart shattered into a million pieces, bringing him a pain so sweet he never wanted it to end. _

He pulled away from her, his eyes as dark as night. "I will not leave you. If I have to die to keep her from him I will."

Something flashed in her eyes and something in her face changed. A sharp pain entered Reid's gut and he fell to his knees, covering his stomach with his hands. When pulled them away they were covered in blood. Nemesis knelt beside him and when he looked up toward her, her face was lined in concern. Alastor was standing not far away, laughing as always, his eyes blood red. Reid felt his vision fading, and reached towards, her not quite reaching her as he fell back against the wet ground. He could hear Caleb and the others screaming faintly; the sound of feet hitting concrete. She leaned closer and he touched her face. "I love you." She closed her eyes and raised her head heavenward.

He felt the wind pick up and the rain begin to pour down upon them. Lightning crackled in the sky. He opened his eyes one last time only to see white. He could still hear her lilting voice in his mind and her hands running over her skin. He could _feel._ Reid opened his eyes. He was suspended in midair and Nemesis watched as he righted himself. When he turned to look at her, she smiled at him wryly. He smiled back at her and turned to see Alastor back away, his confidence shaken. Reid laughed to himself, his eyes shifting to black as he pulled his gloves on and began to flex his fists.

"You know, _Al,_" he snickered, "I gotta say, I really think you fucked up here."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nemesis lift a glinting sword, poised before her and his smile grew.

"Reid," Caleb called from behind him, "If you use too much-"

"He won't age," Nemesis answered. Reid's smile grew. "Let the games begin."

Alastor moved first, coming before them instantly. However, Reid was able to catch him, lifting him from the ground and flattening him against it before throwing him into a tree. "That was for my truck, you piece of shit," he said through gritted teeth as he pulled him back to the concrete before him. Alastor thrust his hands forward as if to push, a wall of fire bursting from his palms. It engulfed Reid and Nemesis both and they did not burn. Reid punched him hard in the jaw and Alastor staggered. He tried to move, but Reid held him fast in place and backed up, crossing his arms across his chest and resting his chin on one balled up fist as he waited for what he knew was to come. Nemesis stepped forward to stand before Alastor and raised her sword the way she had in Reid's dream and in the same swift and elegant movement, brought it to Alastor's neck, severing his head from his body. She brought the sword down to her side, poised as only as warrior could be. Nemesis suddenly brought it up and plunged it into Alastor's chest, the tip hitting the black top below with a resounding clink. She pulled it out with little effort and turned away as the body burst into flames. She walked over toReid gracefully, sword at her side and stopped before him. Nemesis stared deeply into his eyes and he finally understood what he had seen in her eyes; the emotion he had been unable to recognize even in himself. It was love. She held the sword up for him to take. He took it from her gently and they turned to the others who, were frozen in shock. Nemesis threw her hand up in the air in a beckoning gesture and Reid's truck came crashing down behind the others, causing Pogue to cry out, "Jesus!"

She smiled at him as she passed. "I think you're thinking of someone else."

Reid turned to clap him on the back and shake his shoulder as he followed beside her, laughing as he did so.


	14. Epilogue

**I own nothing.**

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Amelia's eyes never reverted back to their warm brown hue and Reid found that he didn't much mind because in reality he was in love with Nemesis. Nemesis was Amelia and Amelia was Nemesis and there was no separating the two. Something had changed in Amelia that night. She and Nemesis melded into one in a way that had made it impossible to separate them and Reid found that in some ways, the goddess within her was almost childlike in her curiosity and innocence.

Reid had died that night and something other than Nemesis had brought him back; she herself admitted to asking for help, and, in doing so had changed something within the sons of Ipswich, eliminating the aging caused by using their power. Whether this new trait would pass down to their children was yet to be determined and Nemesis refused to reveal who the outside force that had saved him was although Reid had somewhat of an inkling. After all, being struck and revived by a lightning bolt was a dead giveaway in his opinion.

The five of them would be off to Harvard soon-moving ahead with their lives in as normal a fashion as was expected of the Sons of Ipswich and a god. What awaited them Reid was unsure of, but the one thing he could be sure of was that what was written of them in the book of Damnation would alter the existence of the covenant forever.

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**Amelia will be back. I'm working on a sequel.**


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